John Wayne's Vette

**Terry M.** · May 17, 2012, 05:57 PM

Re: John Wayne's Vette

Tom,
I remember seeing it there back when. I thought it was a '53, but they all look alike to me.

I too would like to know what happened to it.

**Richard E.** · May 17, 2012, 06:35 PM

Re: John Wayne's Vette

Google says Johns 53 (#51) is still at the National Auto Museum in Reno...

**Bill H.** · May 17, 2012, 06:49 PM

Re: John Wayne's Vette

Originally posted by Tom Novak (11014)

Maybe hard to believe but I did worked at Harrah's Auto Collection back in the late '70's
and early '80's...at that time I wasn't really a Corvette fan (Nomads then). I remember it was a 1953 or 1954 Corvette
and it had all the documentations about it...Yes, it was in showroom 2. If I do recall the hood
looked like it had fiberclass cloth bleeding thru... where is it now?

Tom, did you know a guy there named Scott Bergan? He was there quite a while (a friend that I raced with).

The Corvette is still there, saw it 2 years ago when i took some out of towners thru.

**Bill H.** · May 17, 2012, 06:50 PM

Re: John Wayne's Vette

BTW, the National Auto Museum raffles of a Corvette every year.

**Michael D.** · May 18, 2012, 07:33 AM

Re: John Wayne's Vette

One of the Corvette magazines (Vette, Corvette Fever, etc) did an article on the car a few years back. According to the article, Mr. Wayne drove the car for a while before giving it to Ward Bond.

**Chuck G.** · May 18, 2012, 07:39 AM

Re: John Wayne's Vette

Originally posted by Richard Eagen (20975)

Google says Johns 53 (#51) is still at the National Auto Museum in Reno...

National Auto Museum, Reno - John Wayne's 1953 Chevrolet Corvette

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13802839@N05/2910361291/

The Museum's placard for this car reads: 1953 CHEVROLET Model: Corvette 2934 Convertible Built by: Chevrolet Motor Division, General Motors Corp., Detroit, Michigan Price: $3,523 Engine: OHV 6 cylinder, 150 H.P. Bore: 3-9/16 in. Stroke: 3-15/16 in. Displacement: 235.5 cu. in. The “Corvette” was named after a small, fast naval vessel. It seemed the perfect name to describe Chevrolet’s new “sports car.” In the years immediately following the end of WWII, European “sports cars,” such as M.G.s and Jaguars, began to trickle into the United States. Servicemen had enjoyed these fast, maneuverable sport cars, and in the exuberant climate of postwar America, there was increasing demand for a sports car built in the United States. Chevrolet built the first Corvette as a “dream car” to display at the New York City Motorama in January of 1953. The car created such tremendous interest that Chevrolet pushed ahead and put the car into actual production in June (probably a record for the introduction of a new model). To help speed up delivery, and to save the cost of metal dies for the production of sheet metal bodies, Corvettes had bodies made of reinforced fiberglass, a first for production cars. The first Corvettes were assembled only with 6-cylinder engines and automatic transmission, and they did not sell particularly well with the “sports car crowd.” Approximately 300 Corvettes were produced during 1953. The Corvette displayed here was purchased new in October 1953 by movie star John Wayne. It was the 51st Corvette built. As performance and handling characteristics were improved in subsequent models, Corvettes established themselves as the only true American-built sports cars, a distinction they still enjoy to the present day. Donated by: Harrah’s Hotels & Casinos Adopted by: Dave & Kathy Dickens (E)

Here it is.

Chuck

**Dick W.** · May 18, 2012, 08:03 AM

Re: John Wayne's Vette

I too had wondered what had happened to that car. Last time I saw it when there was still a Harrah's Collection. Sometime about 1986 when the NCRS National Convention was in Reno

**Bill H.** · May 18, 2012, 09:29 AM

Re: John Wayne's Vette

Originally posted by Dick Whittington (8804)

I too had wondered what had happened to that car. Last time I saw it when there was still a Harrah's Collection. Sometime about 1986 when the NCRS National Convention was in Reno

Yea, I went thru those dark warehouses a couple times around 86. The museum is really nice, but way fewer cars.

Home | National Automobile Museum

http://automuseum.org/

National Automobile Museum is one of the top Reno attractions with a "WOW!" factor you won't want to miss!

**Terry M.** · May 18, 2012, 11:19 AM

Re: John Wayne's Vette

1086 must have been when I saw it too.

**Patrick H.** · May 18, 2012, 11:58 AM

Re: John Wayne's Vette

Originally posted by Terry McManmon (3966)

1086 must have been when I saw it too.

1086... I would have thought your ancestors were still in Ireland back then...

**Terry M.** · May 18, 2012, 10:52 PM

Re: John Wayne's Vette

Originally posted by Patrick Hulst (16386)

1086... I would have thought your ancestors were still in Ireland back then...

I expect they (my ancestors) were worshiping trees back then, but think of how rare that Corvette is.

**Tom N.** · May 19, 2012, 07:46 PM

Re: John Wayne's Vette

I didn't know Scott, I did worked with a lot of Master Technicians at Harrahs Auto Collection on Glendale Ave
in Sparks...what a wonderful trip it was for me, you wouldn't believe all the cars we had in warehouses that
nobody got to see. I was there when Holiday Inn sold most of the cars...Then left before all were gone.
Tom...

**Walter F.** · May 20, 2012, 07:30 AM

Re: John Wayne's Vette

Does anyone have a history on this car. Number of owners, was it restored, current mileage,etc?

**Bill H.** · May 20, 2012, 08:16 AM

Re: John Wayne's Vette

Originally posted by Tom Novak (11014)

I didn't know Scott, I did worked with a lot of Master Technicians at Harrahs Auto Collection on Glendale Ave
in Sparks...what a wonderful trip it was for me, you wouldn't believe all the cars we had in warehouses that
nobody got to see. I was there when Holiday Inn sold most of the cars...Then left before all were gone.
Tom...

Thanks, Tom.
Yea, the Holiday Inn sale had a lot of people worried, at least the NAM got some of them.

Scott had to work there when you did, there's a large pic of him with Bill right at the exit door in the museum. He currently manages a private collection (actually still in one of the old Harrah's warehouses), his restorations have won Pebble Beach 2 times.

John Wayne's Vette

John Wayne's Vette

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