Man’s Love for 1962 Corvette Has Been 55 Years in the Making

C1 Corvette purchased by California man’s father for $1,500 in 1968 has become a priceless family heirloom.

Behind any family Corvette handed down from one generation to the next, you’ll typically find a good story.

The one behind this ’62 model definitely speaks to the kind of passion for the American sports car that’s been passed along in some families.

The passion for this gorgeous C1, which is owned by Joel Bernstein of Livermore, California, actually dates back to 1962. That’s when Joel’s father decided to pursue his dream of owning a Corvette, as detailed in a report by The Mercury News. But unfortunately, when Joel’s dad was called to serve in the military for four years, he was forced to sell the car before leaving home.

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Still, that passion to own a Corvette never went away. So, after four years of serving in the military, Joel’s dad went on the hunt for another ’62 ‘Vette. The search eventually guided him to the one pictured in 1968 which cost him $1,500. Today, that would amount to roughly $12,075.

Joel says he kept the Corvette stored for years before he started working on repairing the car. One of the primary goals was to keep its original form intact. The only miles that Joel has really put on the Corvette have been to local car shows. In fact, in the 55 years it’s been around, the family heirloom has only racked up 85,000 miles.

To date, Joel has put about $20,000 into restoring the vehicle. But with an estimated worth of roughly $100,000, it’s a small price to pay for a piece of family history that Joel can pass along as well one day.