Recovered 1989 Corvette In Mint Condition Sells For Nearly $40K

HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA.com) — A Newport Beach couple has reason to celebrate after winning a bid on eBay for a brand new 1989 corvette in mint condition for just over $39,000.

With only 67 miles on its odometer, Mike Robertson and his wife put in a bid for the vehicle which was kept in an airtight storage container for 23 years.

CBS2's Stacey Butler reports that the car was stolen from a San Diego dealership more than two decades ago but recently resurfaced and was purchased by Corky Rice at a police auction.

Rice says that the renter of the unit told police that thugs had forced him to keep the car in the storage unit never explaining how it got there in the first place.

"He says he didn't steal it but the story is too weird that three guys made him put it in a storage locker," Rice said.

According to Rice, the man could no longer afford the storage fees which had totaled over $70,000. After Rice bought the car, he listed it on eBay where it received over 6,400 hits!

Robertson was one of 75 bidders.

When asked by his wife what he wanted to pay for the car, he told her, "well, I'd like to pay sticker for the car."

And that's exactly what he paid.

On Christmas Eve morning, Robertson found out that they had won the bid for $39,471 — the exact sticker on the price of the car back in 1989.

Although Robertson and Rice will never know who the car thief was or why he kept the car in storage for so long, all that matters now is that Robertson is the first registered owner.

As soon as the car gets new tires, Robertson told Butler that he plans to take it for a drive up the coast the day after Christmas.