Texas Man Donates Corvette Memorabilia Collection to the National Corvette Museum

Making the trip from one car enthusiast to another.

That’s the result of longtime Corvette fanatic Bob Johnston’s recent donation of years’ worth of memorabilia – hundreds of vintage collectibles, posters, clocks, signs, and more – to the National Corvette Museum.

Johnston’s fascination with speed traces back to his childhood days when Air Force officers drove into his father’s service station in their fast cars. “When I grow up,” he told himself, “and become somebody, I want to have a fast car.”

Mission accomplished: Johnston eventually owned more than a dozen Corvettes and even turned his love for the Chevy sports car into a way to make a living. He and his wife sold officially licensed Corvette neon signs for 32 years.

“We made things not for the car, but for the garage,” he said. “We made neon signs, clocks, jewelry, and all kinds of things for the garage or the man cave.” But all good things must come to an end. Johnston recently decided to donate his lifetime collection of Corvette memorabilia to the National Corvette Museum, which gladly re-routed one of its trailers from a car show in Arizona to pick up the goodies at Johnston’s home in Harlingen, Texas.

“We are very much appreciative of all of this stuff Bob and Barbara are donating today,” said Gary Cockriel, NCM administrator for fundraising and development.

The very special items will be placed in the museum’s archives, and the rest of it will be used to raise funds to help keep the NCM running through silent auctions, bids, and prizes – and in turn become treasures for other Corvette enthusiasts like Johnston.

“I’m just happy all this Corvette memorabilia will end up in the museum, and eventually in some car enthusiast’s man cave or garage,” Johnston says.

Source:
valleymorningstar.com

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