NEW YORK — It's like a VH1 documentary: The music TV channel gave away 36 Corvettes (one from every model year from 1953-'89) in a contest back in 1989. What happened to them all? The winner of the contest sold the lot of vehicles to psychedelic-art legend Peter Max, who stored them in a dusty basement in Brooklyn without benefit of so much as car covers. All these years later, the cars have made the news again.
The New York Times reported that the pop artist bought the lot for $250,000 in cash, $250,000 in artwork and a percentage of proceeds from any future sale of the cars with the cap set at $1 million. Max was quoted in the story as saying he was originally interested in painting the cars in his trademark wildly colored style and taking them out on tour. He just never got around to it.
The next bit of news from the Times was that the Vettes had been moved from their longtime storage site, an apartment building that previously had been a printing plant for the New York Daily News. And just where did the collection go?
The answer was not long in coming, thanks to an alert CorvetteBlogger correspondent, who happened to be in the right place at the right time and spotted the collection in full. They're now stored in a garage in upper Manhattan while the artist decides how to decorate them or otherwise do something with the riches he has ignored for so long.
The 36 Vettes appear a bit the worse for wear, but a few have endured significantly more damage than just a thick coat of dust and flat tires. Both the 1974 and '75 Corvettes have some rear panel damage that appears to be from the movers pushing on the brittle fiberglass panels just a little too hard.
Max told the Times that he intends to "paint them so it's respectful" and even add another 14 vehicles to the group to bring it up to date through 2003. Also stay tuned for a possible documentary about the cars.
Inside Line says: Let's hope Max comes through and saves these poor Corvettes from another 20 years of neglect. — Mike Lysaght, Correspondent
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ekotkc says:
08:23 PM, 03/20/2010
I know where everyone of these beauties are and remember the sunday afternoon the all rolled in. I rememeber watching a video camera and seeing a vette drive by, then two, then four another, and another. At this point I invetigated what was going on and I learned about the above the above. They deffinitley did not prep the cars. I'm sure the whells are done and a total rehaul for most. I own an 06 and treat it like a queen, it's sad there sitting in a dusty a building not far from ground zero. Pete start reviving those gems...
agnh says:
04:48 PM, 02/22/2010
I remember seeing the commercials for this contest back in 1989 and even as a teenager, it seemed a little over the top.
All I have to say after reading this article is that I would like to see how Max would react if he found out that the seller of the cars was mistreating Max's artwork this way. I have to believe that many of these cars would need a frame off resto to get them back in the condition that they were when Max aquired them, all because of poor storage.
charlesb says:
08:29 AM, 02/22/2010
That was a silly contest that VH1 had. Who needs (or can store ) that many cars? Once the artist is done defacing them they won't be worth a plug nickel.
cruzinmyvette says:
12:47 AM, 02/22/2010
Travai,
GET A LIFE. It was only a comment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why don't YOU sitck to keeping your comments TO YOURSELF.
travai says:
12:31 AM, 02/22/2010
>>> cruzinmyvette
Stick to "cruz"ing in your 'vette, instead of threatening to drag people with cars.
cruzinmyvette says:
01:15 PM, 02/21/2010
This is heart-wrenching. Peter Max has always been 'out there', but there is no excuse for this.
I've got 4 vettes and I treat them with respect. They are an American legend and deserve more respect than just letting them rot. I agree, give them to someone who would love them, care for them and APPRECIATE them. Give them to Jay Leno. At least HE respects his collection. He has all of his cars in a beautiful, heated garage. AND NOT ONE SPEC OF DUST.
Peter Max is just a rich, selfish weirdo who thinks he can buy anyone or anything and not give a damn. I'd like to tie him up and drag him around with one of his neglected vettes.
THAT WOULD TEACH HIM!
rjplumer says:
07:38 AM, 02/21/2010
What a shame. VH1 should buy them back and do something with them. Like find someone who would appreciatte them.
05stangdriver says:
09:51 PM, 02/20/2010
I don't particularly care for Corvettes, never have, but this is sickening. It's not neglect, it's flat out abuse, and the fact that someone can spend upwards of half a MILLION dollars to basically destroy 36 cars just illustrates that some people have more money than sense.
Hey, Peter! I'll buy all of them from you for $1 total, because you obviously have no concept of getting value for your money. And I'll STILL treat them better than you did!
chopperx says:
04:32 PM, 02/20/2010
death by hanging for both the contest winner and this Peter Max guy - obviously no appreciation for automotive art.
Taking a sweet collection like this and letting it rot is unacceptable. Someone needs to come in and take them away in the name of the car GODS!!!!
adavis2493 says:
05:38 AM, 02/20/2010
From personal experience, all Corvette Driver's I've dealt with have been jack@$$'s, but this is truly a shame to the automotive world.
The one that really gets to me is the 1953 Corvette in the first picture (I think it's one - I'm not positive). Do you know how many people would have paid good money to own that thing.
Yet, it's sitting in a garage without a cover for even it's interior. I'm assuming the fluids weren't drained either....