Download

Entombed 1954 Corvette to be Auctioned at Mecum Kissimmee
Milk. Turkey Bacon. Pork Rinds. Beer. Grocery
stores stock nearly all of our daily necessities. One
such store, however, in Brunswick, Maine also
happened to house a 1954 Corvette with 2,300
miles on the odometer for over 25 years. The car,
now known as the Entombed Corvette, is being
offered for sale at Mecum’s 2013 Kissimmee event
next month in central Florida.
The “Entombed” Corvette was bought new in
1954 by Richard Sampson who owned a chain of
33 grocery stores. He drove the car until 1959 at
which time he visited a then under construction
retailer in Brunswick, Maine. He promptly directed the builders to enclose the white on red, 6 cylinder
car in a “tomb” inside the store.
Initially his will stated that it was to be left there until the year 2000. Prior to his death in 1969 he voided
that clause and the car was eventually unearthed in 1986 after an ownership change at the property. The
once gleaming Polo White paint had yellowed and blistered after all those years in isolation. Ironically,
the bias play tires still held their decades old air while the chrome, convertible top, and interior all
remained in remarkably good shape.
Sampson’s daughter, Cynthia, was present at the rescue and took the car to her Daytona Beach, Florida
home and stored it, naturally, in her living room for the next decade before selling it to a Corvette
collector.
The car made its public debut at the 1996 Bloomington Gold Special Collection where it was shown in
Richard Sampson’s honor. Cynthia Sampson, his daughter, was in attendance that June weekend.
New Viper Loses To Corvette ZR1, SRT Boss Calls BS
Chrysler resurrected the Viper as the halo car
for a new sub-brand called simply “SRT”, and
there was much rejoicing. A brand known for its
over-the-top performance cars needs an overthe-top
spokesman, and SRT has that thanks to
the oft-outspoken Ralph Gilles. Unafraid to
speak his mind, Gilles has taken on all comers,
though he may have bit off more than he can
chew with his latest outburst.
After Motor Trend’s Johnny Lieberman posted
a story declaring that the Corvette ZR1 had beaten the new SRT Viper GTS in virtually every respect,
Gilles took to Twitter to express his displeasure…even going so far as to say that many drivers “fear” the
Viper. But is this really the case?