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1970 Paul Newman-signed Corvette Stingray

Value (2021) | $30,000 Retail – $65,000 Insurance
Watch  

APPRAISER:
Hot, hot, hot!

GUEST:
Thank you.

APPRAISER:
I mean the car, of course.

GUEST:
(laughs)

APPRAISER:
The car, what a beautiful ride. A 1970 Corvette Stingray. America's sports car. How did you get this?

GUEST:
It was really a stroke of luck. There was a radio contest for who could get the most famous celebrity to call in on their behalf. And I was working for a catering company at the time and we were gonna do Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp Annual Gala, ah raising money for his camp for the kids with cancer. And I asked my boss if I could ask him, he laughed and said, "There's no way he'll do it for you, but go right ahead and ask." So I asked him, and he remembered me from the years before, having helped him out with things at other parties that we've done, and he called. And he was voted the most famous out of the 24 celebrities that had called in. Some of the other famous celebrities were, David Hyde Pierce and Kelsey Grammer called in together, Whoopi Goldberg called in, Rosie O'Donnell called in, and this was the prize. And so then, the following spring, I drove it out to another Hole in the Wall Gang party we were doing, and I asked him if he would autograph the dashboard, and he did for me. And I have pictures of doing the autographing of the dashboard.

APPRAISER:
It's just incredible, because Paul Newman, one of America's greatest actors, is well-known for being reclusive and private. I think there's a lot people don't know about Newman behind the face. One of it is his great philanthropic efforts: Newman's Own, which he's given away, I believe, all the profits. The first Corvettes came out in 1953.

GUEST:
Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER:
And that's the first generation. They had a body style from '53 to '62. '63 to '67, they had the second version. This body was actually based on a concept car called the Mako Shark II. So you can see these sort of sleek, powerful lines here sort of emulating the shark, because who wouldn't want to have that feeling of, of sleekness and sexiness and power, which, which really makes, is the essence of the Corvette? These cars were so popular that this body style stayed relatively the same from 1968 to 1982. So 1970 was the last year of what they call high performance, before emissions took over some of the power of the car. It was one of the last years that they have chrome bumpers, because in '73, they start with the rubber bumpers. And what you also have here is what we call the basic motor, a 350, which was stock for these. You got an automatic transmission. They also made manuals, of course. You've had this since 1998, right?

GUEST:
1998, yup.

APPRAISER:
So have you had anything done to it since then? It's got about 82,000 miles.

GUEST:
Just tune up kind of stuff.

APPRAISER:
This was repainted at some point.

GUEST:
I think it was.

APPRAISER:
Without the Newman association, I'd probably put an auction estimate about $18,000 to $24,000. I think a retail price would probably be starting somewhere around 25. But the reason why we're here and talking is the Paul Newman value.

GUEST:
Right.

APPRAISER:
There's another side to Paul Newman, which I think even, beyond his fame, beyond his philanthropy, increases the value even more for a celebrity, and it's the fact he was a race car driver!

GUEST:
And he raced Corvettes.

APPRAISER:
I would probably put $30,000 to $40,000 on this, auction. And I would insure it for at least $65,000.

GUEST:
That's where I got it. (laughing)

APPRAISER:
Can you take me for a ride?

GUEST:
Absolutely! Get on in!

APPRAISER:
I'm in! (engine starts)

APPRAISER:
(laughs)

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Leila Dunbar
Collectibles, Sports Memorabilia
Leila Dunbar Appraisals & Consulting, LLC
Washington, DC
Appraised value (2021)
$30,000 Retail – $65,000 Insurance
Featured In
Wadsworth Mansion, Hour 2 (#2602)
Event
Middletown, CT (August 10, 2021)
Category
Sports Memorabilia
Period
1970s
Form
Car
Material
Fiberglass

Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.

Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."

Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.

Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.

Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.

Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.

Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.

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