The missing car, barn-fresh and awaiting restoration, was to be displayed at Carlisle for the public to enjoy. After a limited reveal, however, the car was transported off-site to an undisclosed location, and additional public viewings were cancelled. The ownership of the car, it turns out, wasn’t as clear as originally believed.
Prior to Carlisle, the Corvette had changed hands twice in recent months, first sold by Pamela Carr to Lance Miller, then sold by Miller to Kevin Mackay. As the car was about to be revealed, another alleged owner, Dan Mathis, stepped forward with a Florida title for the car.
As Autoweek explains, Mathis claims that the historically significant Corvette had been stolen from his father sometime in the 1970s. The case would seem to favor Mathis if not for two things: the Florida title in Mathis’ name wasn’t issued until August 17, 2012, and no report was ever filed with law enforcement listing the Corvette as stolen.
Mathis filed suit against Mackay, Miller and others on September 7, but his suit is countered by one filed against Mathis by (you guessed it) Miller and Mackay some 10 days earlier. With this much paperwork flying back and forth between lawyers, the only certain thing is that the case is growing increasingly complex.
The U.S. District Court will hear both sides of the argument on September 26, and we hope the court is able to quickly reach a decision on the rightful owner of this particular Corvette. After 30 years in hiding, it’s time for the car to (again) take its place in the spotlights.