23 years later, this stolen Corvette is still hot

[Rob]

23 years later, this stolen Corvette is still hot

Vintage sports car now listed on EBay is in showroom condition, with 67 miles on the odometer after being parked in a storage locker since 1989.

By Bob Pool, Los Angeles Times
December 21, 2012

Corky Rice is shown with the Corvette that was parked in a storage locker since it was stolen in 1989.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times / December 17, 2012)

The cherry-red 1989 Corvette convertible that Corky Rice has is in cherry condition.

It ought to be. It still has its original new car invoice sticker on its windshield and a mere 67 miles on its odometer.

The shiny two-seater was stolen in 1989 from the new car sales lot at what was then called C & M Chevrolet in San Diego and driven straight to a nearby self-storage facility, where it was locked in a garage-size unit and left there — for 23 years.

Full Story: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-old-corvette-20121221,0,746160.story

 

[vetteboy86]

What a situation. I'd be curious how much it cost to keep the car in storage for 23 years. Even at 50 a month, that would be nearly 14k.

 

[roger longman]

The LA Times reports, that it cost the Irish recipient of the car, over $70,000.00, in storage fees. The LAPD are taking no further action, as it was stolen so long ago !..........Roger.

 

[roger longman]

The Vette was just sold, to a Newport Beach man, for exactly the sticker price, of $39,471.00. That means, the thief/fence, paid almost twice the price, in storage fees. However, why he wont be prosecuted, is beyond me..........Roger.

 

[Evolution1980]

Here's another article about it with more details about the origins of the car and the guy that originally stole it.

The story goes like this: In 1989, an Irish immigrant who was mixed up with the wrong crowd got talked into stealing the car off a dealer's lot. He promptly drove the car straight to a storage facility in San Diego, where he parked it and walked away. But he kept paying the bills for the storage unit, pressured by annual calls from his crime associates to keep the car stored. So it sat there, untouched and totally protected in the perfect San Diego climate, for 23 years...

Stolen 1989 Corvette Sells For Original Sticker Price

 

[Schrade]

Examining the storage unit's records, Spear discovered that over the 23 years the renter had paid $70,000 for the space.

Someone paid $70k storage fees???

Something smells...

I'm throwin' the flag on this stuff.