This bizarre story began when VH1 held a contest back in 1989 to give away 36 Corvettes, one from every year since 1953. They reportedly paid around $610,000 for the massive collection, but they quickly recouped their money by charging $2.00 per phone call for entries to the contest.
The winner of the contest, Dennis Amodeo, sold the collection to Max later that year for a deal of $250,000 cash, $250,000 worth of artwork, and a percentage of the future sale price if Max were to ever resell the cars. Peter Max bought the Corvettes with the intention of using them in staged art pieces, but the project never came to fruition. The collection has recently resurfaced because Max decided he was ready to give up on the project and resell the cars. When Max contacted a man named Peter Heller about a potential relocation for the cars, Heller instead offered him a deal for the collection. Max sold the cars to Heller, with no word whether Amodeo will receive a percentage, as told in the original sales agreement.
Heller intends to refurbish the cars and restore them all to original condition. Some are said to just need minor paint and bodywork, while others need more thorough restorations to fix the damage done from so many years of apparently unkempt storage practices.
Want to learn more about storing your car properly so your car doesn’t suffer damage while in the garage? Check out this recent infographic we put together on safe storage practices, and learn a few tips on what to do before you put your car away for the winter. If you are in need of a policy check-up, or want a quote for a potential purchase, Classic Auto’s customer service representatives are here to help you! Give us a call at 888-901-1338 for more information on collector car insurance.
