LOOKING FOR GOLD ... CORVETTES

LOOKING FOR GOLD

A conversation with Michael Manderino

as told to Keith E. Jacobson

 

 I was very fortunate to spend some time speaking with Michael Manderino. He is a past president of the Chicago Corvette Club, serving in that position for 12 years. I stumbled on his web site rarevettes.com which features cars from his collection. His first was a 1987 red Vette and so the story began. He and his wife saw a purple Vette at an event and decided that really liking that color they would look for one. Turns out that it was a a special rare color but eventually one was found and purchased. While looking for this car someone mentioned maybe you should look for a gold only 15 had been made.

THE LAST 6 CARS PRODUCED IN 1998 WERE ALL  SPECIAL ORDER CARS

MEDIUM PURPLE PEARL METALLIC

THIS CAR WAS THE FIRST OF THIS GROUP

NOTE IN THE WINDOW STICKER UNDER

SALES CODE IS A “S” CODE "S" STANDS FOR SPECIAL ORDER

GM OFFERED THIS COLOR ONLY 1 YEAR

MEDIUM PURPLE PEARL METALLIC

PAINT CODE 95  “AMETHYST”

TOTAL PRODUCTION IN THIS COLOR WAS 396 140 COUPES

256 CONVERTIBLES THIS COUPE WITH BLACK INTERIOR IS

1 OF 58 WITH THE EQUIPMENT OPTIONS ON THIS CAR THAT MAKES THIS CORVETTE 1 OF 10

 

The hunt was on for a gold. and car #10 was found and purchased from Texas. Not long after that Mike's son happened to see car #5 for sale and that one was also purchased. Mike had been been invited to bring his two gold cars to an event at Mid America Motor works where he met the owner of car #1. In attendance at the event were Wil Cooksey, Corvette Plant Manager 1993-2008 and Dave McLellan, Corvette chief engineer 1975-1992 who filled him in with stories about the gold cars. Mike's recollection was that McLellan said something to the effect that they should have kept on trying to make the gold work for the 50th anniversary car and that they dropped it too soon. Also, at one point employees of Revell the model company spotted a gold Corvette and inquiring about it were told they were experimenting with it for a millennium Corvette edition. When the truth came out, the models were pulled from the shelves.

Years later the owner of the #1 Aztec Gold contacted Mike saying that it was time to sell and that it should go to a good home and it was offered to him. SCORE !!! Now three of 15 produced lived at his home. Along the way #6 was available and joined the collection. Four of the 15 produced now resided in Chicago. Eventually one was sold off and now three are in the collection.

 He also has a huge die cast collection.

A big thanks for sharing your time and your stories