The 'lost Corvettes' are revealed: Forgotten for decades, rare Corvette collection to be given away
Imagine winning 36 Corvettes – one each from the first 36 years of the iconic sports car's history, beginning in 1953.
That's exactly what happened to Dennis Amodeo in 1989, when he won cable TV network VH1's contest to give away all of the 'Vettes to one person. Two million people entered the contest, and the Long Island carpenter was the winner.
Soon after, he sold the vehicles to German-American artist Peter Max, and the cars ended up store in New York City garages for the next few decades.
Now, the cars, which came to be known as the "lost Corvettes" since they were hidden from public view for so long, will be given away again – this time to 36 different winners – in a sweepstakes to benefit the National Guard Education Foundation.
The newly restored Chevrolet cars include the first-ever Corvette from 1953 as well as the elusive 1967 convertible. To enter, people must make a $3 donation. They can get bonus entries for extra amounts.
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The giveaway is sponsored by Corvette Heroes, a group of New York real estate and parking garage professionals. The group was co-founded by Chris Mazzilli, co-owner of Gotham Comedy Club and owner of Dream Car Restorations on Long Island, who helped guide restoration efforts to get the vehicles ready to be given away.
Which one is the best?
"I've never met a Corvette that I didn't love," Mazzilli told USA TODAY in a recent interview.
To enter, visit TheLostCorvetteHeroesGiveaway.com.
The Corvettes are also known as the "Peter Max Collection" since he "was going to use them as canvases for a series of paintings" before deciding to abandon the project, according to Corvette Heroes.
Max later sold them to the families of the families of Scott Heller, including sons Michael and Adam and cousin Peter, and Gary, Adam and Fred Spindler.
The giveaway comes as General Motors, maker of the Corvette, is set to begin selling the redesigned eighth-generation Corvette Stingray as a 2020 model. For the C8 Corvette, engineers switched the engine from underneath the hood to the mid-section of the vehicle.
Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Lost Corvettes' revealed: See the 36 Chevy Corvettes to be given away
