'57 Belvedere Unearthed After 50 Years

In 1957, a brand new Belvedere was buried to celebrate 50 years of statehood, according to the Associated Press. It was a rather large time capsule.

The car had been buried in layers of protective material. The two-door hard top was then put in a 12x20 ft vault, made of concrete. The vault was purported withstand a nuclear blast. Officials had quite a bit of cleanup to do, according to the Associated Press. There was several feet of water in the vault.

The Associated Press quoted Sharon King Davis, the event organizer, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Miss Belvedere." Davis' grandfather helped with the burial of the gold and white Plymouth.

The Associated Press reported that the crowd, battling a strong rain, had started to arrive at dawn. When the ceremony to exhume the 1957 historical auto started, helicopters were flying. Rooftops had onlookers and others were trying to catch a glimpse from nearby office buildings.

The car was ported away on a flatbed truck. It will be unwrapped and detailed. The official unveiling comes at the Tulsa Convention Center Friday evening.

According to the Associated Press, no one knows if the car will start.

Dave Stragand, a car enthusiast from Pittsburgh was on hand to observe the event. The Associated press quoted him as saying, "It's our King Tut's tomb," Stragand said. "It's like a fairy tale."

Things buried with the car included 10 gallons of gas. Some believed combustion engined might be a thing of the past. There was a case of beer, 14 bobby pins, lipstick, chewing gum, a bottle of tranquilizers, a pack of cigarettes, matches and $2.34, according to the Associated Press.

Entries to a contest for the winner of the car, were recorded on a spool of microfilm. This was also buried with the car. The winner of the car was the person whose guess was closest to the population of Tulsa in 2007. According to the Associated Press, that figure is 382,457.

The winner will also receive a $100 savings account that is worth about $1,200 today. The car will officially be awarded by June 22 to the winner or their heirs.

Boyd Coddington, host American Hot Rod, will attempt to turn the engine over Friday afternoon. There have been thousands of tickets sold for the presentation taking place Friday evening.

Source: the Associated Press; JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS; '57 Plymouth Unearthed in Oklahoma