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.
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As you read this, the once hidden Corvette now shows just 2,331 miles on the clock, and will go up for bids on Saturday January 26th, 2013 about 4:50pm.
Mecum’s 10-day Kissimmee auction takes place January 18th – 27th at the Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida. Hundreds of Corvettes will be offered as part of the 3,000 vehicle docket. We’ll take a look at some of the other January Corvettes over the next few weeks.
Related:
Survivor 1963 Z06 Corvette Heading to Mecum Kissimmee
Lori Hale Donates Beloved 1954 Corvette to the National Corvette Museum
Have a Pizza and Enjoy the View of this 1954 Corvette in Great Falls, Montana
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