Miss Belvedere

Miss Belvedere
Miss Belvedere being lowered into the vault
DateJune 15, 1957 – June 14, 2007 (1957-06-15 – 2007-06-14)
Duration50 years
LocationCity Courthouse, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Coordinates36°08′57″N 95°59′43″W / 36.1492°N 95.9953°W / 36.1492; -95.9953
MotiveTime capsule
Organized byGolden Jubilee Committee

Miss Belvedere is a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere that was sealed in an underground vault on the grounds of the Tulsa city courthouse on June 15, 1957, as a 50-year time capsule.[1][2]

The car, a desert gold and sand dune white two-tone sport coupe which displayed only four miles on its odometer, was entombed as part of the city of Tulsa's "Tulsarama" Golden Jubilee Week festivities celebrating Oklahoma's 50th year of statehood.[1] The unnamed vehicle was intended to be a prize awarded upon the vehicle's unearthing to the individual, or their descendant, who came nearest to guessing Tulsa's population in 2007.[3] A matching automobile had been awarded in a separate contest a few days prior.[4]

Nicknamed Miss Belvedere by a member of the committee organizing the 2007 event, the car was unearthed on June 14, 2007, during the state's centennial celebration and publicly unveiled the next day.[5][6] Reflecting the Cold War tensions endemic in late 1950s America, the enclosure – built of poured in place concrete and sprayed with pneumatically applied gunite – was advertised as having been built to withstand a nuclear attack.[7][8] However, the vault was breached by long term water intrusion, that submerged the entire vehicle, causing significant cosmetic and structural damage.[9][10][11]

Efforts were made to stabilize Miss Belvedere's condition, including essential suspension repairs, with the hope of placing her in a museum.[12] After being stored for ten years, the car was accepted by the Historic Auto Attractions Museum in Roscoe, Illinois, and shipped in June 2017.[6][13]

  1. ^ a b Benjaminson, Jim (1994). Plymouth 1946-1959. Motorbooks International. ISBN 0879388404. Archived from the original on 2014-10-12. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  2. ^ "A rusty classic in trusty hands". NJ.com. 25 June 2008. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  3. ^ "Belvedere brouhaha". Tulsa World. 19 June 2007. Retrieved 2015-11-21. (subscription required)
  4. ^ "The other Belvedere". Tulsa World. 28 May 2007. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Tulsa-World-6-22-2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "One Lap of the Web: Ditching Miss Belvedere". Autoweek. 16 April 2014. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  8. ^ JUOZAPAVICIUS, JUSTIN (2007-06-16). "Rusty 1957 Plymouth Unearthed in Okla". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  9. ^ TulsaWorld: Buried Belvedere vault full of water
  10. ^ "Vaulted hopes for buried car dampened". Tulsa World. 14 June 2007. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  11. ^ "Centennial time capsule car found ruined". Reuters. 2007-06-18. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  12. ^ Schembari, James (2010-02-05). "Salvaging a Famous Rust Bucket". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference ten was invoked but never defined (see the help page).