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Forgotten Corvette collection emerges from the dust after 25 years

LambeauLegs

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Click the link for the full article

https://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motor...s-from-the-dust-after-25-years-162558587.html

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Peter Max was not a car guy. So when he purchased a collection of 36 Chevrolet Corvettes, one from every year of manufacture up until 1989, he had a very specific plan: He would use this slice of American history as a tool to self-promote his work as an artist, painting the machines in lurid colors while staging them in various oddball scenarios only the most expressive of minds could envision.

Only that never happened. Instead, Max left his collection in a New York City storage lot, which is where they've lived for a quarter of a decade, sat gathering inches of dust, moved only when switching from one storage location to another. However, that is all about to change, as the cars are now under new ownership – one that will lovingly restore the 'Vettes and get them back on the road.

The story of how Max acquired the cars began in 1989, when music network VH1 held a contest to award a lucky viewer with a Corvette from every year of the model's existence, from 1953 to 1989. Hemmings reports that VH1 purchased the cars for $610,000, and made its money back by creating a 900 number and charging contestants $2.00 per phone call to enter.

Placing just one call, Dennis Amodeo, a carpenter from Long Island, won the prize. Shortly after receiving his army of Corvettes, Amodeo received a call from Max who had seen the collection at an auto show in 1990. Max stated that he wished to purchase the cars, and at a meet in New York City, the two hashed out a deal that reportedly included $250,000 in cash, $250,000 worth of Max's artwork and an agreement that if Max ever sold the cars, Amodeo would receive a portion of the proceeds, up to $1 million.
 

outofyourmind

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What a story.
What happened to Max and why is it a new owners hands.
Did Max die or is it for back storage rent or what.???
Did this Dennis guy get his part of the follow up deal?


Wonder what kind of condition these cars are in, not just from sitting, but guessing that VH1 wasn't too careful putting this collection together. It said that some are show ready with just some clean up but that's hard to imagine. And they had the same question about the follow up part with this Dennis guy??
 
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LambeauLegs

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What a story.
What happened to Max and why is it a new owners hands.
Did Max die or is it for back storage rent or what.???
Did this Dennis guy get his part of the follow up deal?


Wonder what kind of condition these cars are in, not just from sitting, but guessing that VH1 wasn't too careful putting this collection together. It said that some are show ready with just some clean up but that's hard to imagine. And they had the same question about the follow up part with this Dennis guy??


Yes surely some questions on just went down.
 

JuiceTheGator

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I could drive that white convertible to work each day. It probably needs a 5 - 10 thousand bucks to get it right again.
 

HammerDown

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My favorites would be a '78/'79 or the '82 Anniversary Corvette.

Had a chance to buy a '78 two-tone I saw at the bank parking lot in California about 5 yrs ago for $10k even but it had NY plates and the guy selling was very sketchy and desperate for cash. I knew I'd either get a cherry or a lemon and with my family situation at the time, I could spare the cash but not the drama of buying it.

You have NO IDEA how much I wish I had bought that car.
 

FaCe-LeE-uS

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The fuck is up with that silly ass yellow volkswagen beetle chillin in that stash???
 

RegentDenali

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Talk about barn finds.

If they have a split-window, it's worth it's weight in gold.

But that being said, I'll take the Marina Blue 67 stingray convertible if it's there, of all of them. That's my dream vette.

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JuiceTheGator

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Talk about barn finds.

If they have a split-window, it's worth it's weight in gold.

But that being said, I'll take the Marina Blue 67 stingray convertible if it's there, of all of them. That's my dream vette.

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Lovely. But I always wondered wtf is with the front bumper on that? It has a nice design but it's in front of the grill like some gov't douche made them put it there after the work was complete...or something. Amirite?
 
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