The collection will be given away later this year.
People have been amazed at the story of how 36 Chevrolet Corvettes, one from the 1953 to 1989 model years, were discovered hidden away in New York City. Won by a man from Long Island in a nationwide contest put on by VH1, these cars were immediately purchased by an eccentric graphic designer from NYC, then hidden away and essentially never seen again. Now that they’re public again, these ‘Vettes are worth some serious cash and they’re going to be auctioned later this summer.
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Back in 1989 VH1 decided to hold a contest. Viewers could call a 900 number to the tune of $2.00 a call and enter to win this collection of Corvettes. Dennis Amodeo won, but before he could transport the cars to Long Island, Peter Max offered him a quarter million in cash, a quarter million in artwork, plus a cut of what the cars would sell for later. Max had plans to use the cars for an art project, but for reasons unknown that never happened. Max kept them essentially hidden away in several garages in NYC where they literally gathered dust.
if you’re a math genius then you’re probably wondering why there’s only 36 ‘Vettes if one from each model year between 1953 and 1989 were included. The answer is simple: GM didn’t make a 1983 Corvette.
Among the Corvettes was a 1953, number 291 of 300. Thankfully, in 2014 a group of investors called Corvette Heroes was able to purchase the collection from Max, who puzzlingly claimed he still had plans for the cars, despite letting them rot for 25 years.
After restoring each of these cars, Corvette Heroes hopes to find a good home for each one through a national sweepstakes. That’s fitting, considering they were included in a national sweepstakes over 30 years ago. The proceeds of the sweepstakes will go to charities for US military veterans.
Image credit: YouTube
