5 Incredible Stories about Stolen Corvettes
Real stories like these make you wonder about just how many stolen Corvettes are out there.
1. The 40-Year Wait
The true owner of this 1964 Corvette got a long-awaited lucky break when someone at a car show recognized that the car's VIN tags were not for a Corvette but rather for an Impala. Modesto Fleming's precious white 'Vette had been stolen 40 years ago in 1976!
The most recent owner, who brought it to the car show, was not to blame, however; he had received the Corvette as a gift back in '87, and it was purchased at a lot that's no more. While this is an awesome tale of rightful recovery for the original owner, the ending is bittersweet for the guy; it must be bizarre to realize that you've been driving around a stolen car for thirty-some years!
>>Join the conversation about stories of stolen Corvettes right here in CorvetteForum.com!
2. Blue Baby
Last year, a woman named Terry Dietrich discovered that the 1972 Corvette stolen from her at the age of 19 was still around. 43 years ago, Dietrich opened an insurance policy with Allstate. The recent reunion was made possible by the now-retired insurance agent, who helped Dietrich settle an issue with the car's title. The blue 'Vette with matching crushed velvet interior had been involved in a fraudulent transaction, hence the need to prove Dietrich's ownership.
>>Join the conversation about stories of stolen Corvettes right here in CorvetteForum.com!
3. Kill Switch Save
Last year, a man went to a dealership in Culver City, CA to test drive a white C7 Corvette, but things turned sour for the salesman when he stole it off the lot instead. The car thief led police on a two-hour chase in southern California, which ended when OnStar utilized the kill switch to remotely stop the Corvette! I would've loved to see the look on the thief's face when his plan to get away with a brand new C7 came to an abrupt and unexpected stop.
>>Join the conversation about stories of stolen Corvettes right here in CorvetteForum.com!
4. Wrong Made Right
A few years ago, 71-year-old George Talley was reunited with his precious silver 1979 Corvette that had been stolen 33 years prior. A red flag arose when someone tried to register two Corvettes with the same VIN number. Thanks to the efforts of the Michigan State Police and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the Corvette, which had 47k miles on it, was rightfully returned. Talley was a former employee of General Motors, so the company actually paid for his Corvette to be shipped back to him!
>>Join the conversation about stories of stolen Corvettes right here in CorvetteForum.com!
5. Blessing in Disguise
A man named Alan Poster had his 1968 Corvette stolen from a garage in New York City in 1969 when he was just 26-years-old. Little did he know that it wouldn't be for another 37 years (in 2006) that he would see his 'Vette again, albeit in a much different light. When his then blue-on-blue dream car was recently discovered after being loaded onto a container ship headed to Sweden, having been purchased for $10,000, it looked entirely different. The car had been painted silver and given a red interior. That's not all that had changed; the Corvette's original engine was replaced with a 454 big block Chevy engine, and a stolen automatic transmission was installed. The gas tank had also gone missing. Because Poster's insurance didn't cover theft at the time and he never received compensation for it, the discovered Corvette was returned back to him. He has since been busy restoring it and enjoying his second chance at ownership.
>>Join the conversation about stories of stolen Corvettes right here in CorvetteForum.com!
For maintenance and repair guides, browse our technical How-to articles right here at Corvetteforum.com!