10-12-2023, 10:53 PM | #1 |
Drives: 2013 SS/RS, 2015 Camaro SS/RS Vert Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Southern Nevada
Posts: 2,277
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Sorry, not a Gen 5 but very cool nonetheless!!
Alan B. Shepard's gen 4 Camaro is up for sale with documentation. Here's the link to the CL ad:
https://lasvegas.craigslist.org/ctd/...675126195.html My dad worked on the fringe of the astronaut training program at Edwards Air Force Base in the late 60s thru early 70s and actually met this man and others during his time there. I met some of them but was only 5-9 years old while we lived there, so couldn't tell you who. The story and pics in the write-up are pretty cool if you're into such things. Shepard was the first American in space, for those not in the know.
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10-13-2023, 06:54 AM | #2 |
Drives: '11 2SS, '11 C6 GS, '04 MDX Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Kearney, MO
Posts: 2,898
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Extremely cool - but not $295,000 cool.
Still, would love to see in person. |
10-13-2023, 07:01 AM | #3 |
Drives: 2014 Camaro RRM 2SS RS, M6 LS3 Vert Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 239
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I live in the town and a couple of miles from where he was born. My wife teaches at the high school he attended and its teams are called the "Astros." Local hero and if I hit the Powerball, that might make it to my garage.
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10-13-2023, 08:17 AM | #4 |
Drives: LT W/2LT,blue metallic Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: central florida
Posts: 4,938
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very cool,i wonder if he got the same deal as they got with the corvettes.i think the vettes were a dollar a year lease,but the publicity was worth it.
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10-13-2023, 08:23 AM | #5 | |
Drives: 2013 SS/RS, 2015 Camaro SS/RS Vert Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Southern Nevada
Posts: 2,277
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Quote:
Great story! I called my dad last night after I sent him the link. He remembered meeting him with a couple of the others but couldn't remember if I was tagging along that day. I think I was there. We went to look at this huge camera (and by huge, I mean this thing filled the center of the room and was as tall as my dad, facing upwards) that was used to track orbiting objects. This group of guys came in and there was a lot of general hubbub around them. I remember my dad smiling and shaking hands.
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10-13-2023, 08:24 AM | #6 |
Drives: 2013 SS/RS, 2015 Camaro SS/RS Vert Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Southern Nevada
Posts: 2,277
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I knew they got a deal on the 'vettes but I had no idea it was that good!
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10-13-2023, 09:09 AM | #7 |
Drives: 2011 SS-RS Join Date: May 2011
Location: FLORIDA
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That's pretty cool Daniel!! But wow, that's a lot of money!! We just might see this one on either Mecum or Barrett Jackson sometime..
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10-13-2023, 09:21 AM | #8 |
Drives: Aqua Blue '10 1LT/RS Join Date: Jun 2023
Location: Delaware
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If I remember correctly, they weren't allowed to accept "gifts" from private enterprise as government employees, so GM decided they'd offer them the $1 lease deal for the Corvettes so that they were technically being "purchased" and not gifted.
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10-13-2023, 09:38 AM | #9 |
Drives: LT W/2LT,blue metallic Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: central florida
Posts: 4,938
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i read about in in a book,think it might have been "the right stuff".gus grissom had a vette,so did some of the other astronauts.you have to figure it was more than just another car coming off-lease,the dealer probably didnt lose any money on them.and who wouldnt want to drive a new vette every year for a buck a year?
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10-13-2023, 11:20 PM | #10 |
Drives: 2013 SS/RS, 2015 Camaro SS/RS Vert Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Southern Nevada
Posts: 2,277
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They sold one of the astronaut-owned Corvettes at auction last year for over $300K. I sent an email to the guy and he responded back that this one will end up at one of the big auctions as well. They are giving 50% of the sale to the scholarship foundation that Shepard started.
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10-13-2023, 11:23 PM | #11 | |
Drives: 2013 SS/RS, 2015 Camaro SS/RS Vert Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Southern Nevada
Posts: 2,277
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Quote:
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10-13-2023, 11:34 PM | #12 |
Drives: 2013 SS/RS, 2015 Camaro SS/RS Vert Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Southern Nevada
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I had emailed the sellers about this car and my somewhat connection through my dad with the astronaut training program. They sent this note back. I thought it was very generous of his time to respond like this:
"DC, great story. Sounds like you actually read our ad. At 69 yes old, I have been in the auto business most my life & you can go thru your whole life & not be as fortunate as we are in purchasing Admiral Shepard’s car from the family. Fortunately it was in great 68k mile original condition & we painstakingly took many hours to get it to what you see today. We even put in a $7k lift just so we could give the underside the detail it deserved & as you can see it is in almost new condition. We knew making $$$ selling would be easy but we decided to complicate things by raising the price & giving half the net proceeds to the ASF which The Admiral founded w the original Mercury 7 Astronauts. Sounds like you had a very fortunate childhood w your dad @ Edwards. I would have loved to had the opportunity to meet The Admiral. This has turned into a very political journey & we just got the support from the ASF. Next step is get support from NASA & then we will be able to advertise on both of their social media platforms. Our goal is to have the car sold by end of this year. Please give my regards to you dad & stay tuned, its going to be a awesome journey. Phil Collum AutoQuest Jeeps Home of the Astronaut Car Waller TX 77484 832.473.7588 aqjeeps@gmail.com
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10-14-2023, 02:19 PM | #13 |
Drives: LT W/2LT,blue metallic Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: central florida
Posts: 4,938
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saw one of the mercury capsules on grand turk,its on display after a splashdown nearby.thin metal,only about 7 feet long.no way would i think about going into orbit in that.those guys earned their vettes...
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10-14-2023, 10:32 PM | #14 |
Drives: 2013 1SS LS3 Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 814
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Fantasy price. The '68 Vette reference in the ad was an L89 car and probably worth low 6 figures even without the Alan Shephard connection. Add to that is the fact that the '68 was from the era when he was an actual astronaut.
Last edited by SS376; 10-14-2023 at 10:45 PM. |
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