1961 Corvette Fulie; the best one? For Sale!
If you grew up in the late 50s or early 60s and you were a car guy; there was one show you had to watch. It was Route 66 with that beautiful Corvette. Todd and Buzz seemed to have a perfect life for the young car geek. They were young men with the best possible car and free to roam Route 66 looking for girls and thrills. I never missed that show but was always upset when the show included fewer than normal scenes of that year’s model of the Corvette.
Although I too was eventually lucky enough to own a 1962 Corvette in my youth (it was 6 years old at the time and 6 year old cars were not nearly as nice as 6 year old cars are today!) I was never able to hit the road and lead the idyllic life of Todd and Buz. Few of us were, there was something called the Draft back then! Military duty changed the lives of many a young man as well as for their friends and family.
At about the same time I was cruising in my 62 Corvette another young man, 4 years older than I, who was about to never drive his Corvette again. Bernard Arthur McDermott III Captain, Company A, 3rd Military Police Battalion, 3rd Marine Division was born on August 31, 1940 and died in Vietnam on September 6, 1969. I never met or knew Captain McDermott III but I shed a tear for him and all the brave men like him when I heard about his story and his Corvette.
Before leaving on his third tour: he gave his dad his Rolex and asked him to keep it until he came home; and he said that if anything happened to him, his shiny red Corvette should go to his best friend, Jimmy McGowan. Ben’s third tour lasted only three weeks, on September 6, 1969, he was killed by mortar fire.
His dad kept the watch and his best friend, Jimmy, kept the 61 Corvette until he was too old to keep it up. He reluctantly parted with it only after knowing it would be preserved and be in good hands. He too is now gone but the Corvette remains as a tribute to a long gone brave young owner and as an original example of a rare Corvette.
The little red 1961 Fulie Corvette you see Featured here is that Corvette and it remains basically the same as it did on the day in 1969 it owner crossed over to the other side. It is all original with the one exception of one high quality repaint and the addition of slightly over 3,000 additional miles. Even the hoses and belts remain unchanged. At his request, I can’t publish the name or location of the current owner but I can tell you the car is for sale. I can also tell you the price is not cheap but I have seen the car. I have owned over two dozen Corvettes from C1s to C5s in my lifetime and this is one of the best I can remember. I am no expert on the details of such cars but this is one terrific machine. If you are interested in giving it an appropriate home please contact me at rfleener@comcast.net and I will have the owner contact you. If you are serious, I also have more photos and can provide photos in a much higher resolution.
Here are some photos I took of the car on a recent visit. I will also be posting a video but it is not yet complete.
