Milestone birthdays are special moments that deserve a little more attention than a simple card and cake.
They’re a time to celebrate your life so far and look ahead to the future. They’re a time to reflect on what you’ve achieved, overcome, and enjoyed since the last milestone.
But how do you make it memorable? How do you leave an impression that will last a lifetime?
That’s the question Steve Hunnicutt asked himself as his wife, Cindy, approached one of her milestone birthdays.
Well, a good start would be inviting about 30 of your friends from the Peach State Corvette Association to participate.
Then, you could knock it out of the park by presenting a beautiful, ultra-low mileage 2013 Grand Sport convertible Corvette as a gift.
Found It!
Rod Worley – Editor – Steve, this was a brilliant idea for a memorable milestone birthday. Can you share the significance of this Corvette model and how you found it?
Steve Hunnicutt – A Peach State Corvette club member, Barbara Fox has this exact car. The first time my wife Cindy saw it, she fell in love.
Since then, I’ve searched online for this model, color, and year combination. Eventually, I came across the exact year & model I had been searching for.
I was immediately interested when I saw this beautiful, low-mileage car.
Over time, through correspondence, I developed a relationship with Ron, the seller. He had some people interested in the Corvette, but they always backed out.
So, I said to him, “Hey, when you get tired of people backing out, you know my price.” By then, I felt we had established a relationship, and he knew this Corvette would be going to my wife, who would appreciate it.
That was important to him because it was his wife’s Corvette and her backstory surrounding the car.
Honoring Betty
Rod Worley – Editor – You mentioned the Corvette had belonged to the gentleman’s wife and alluded to a backstory.
Steve Hunnicutt – Yes, Betty, the owner, had purchased the car in 2013. Unfortunately, shortly after she got the car, she developed back issues.
Those issues eventually required surgery. The hope was the surgeries would be effective enough to allow her to get behind the wheel of her beautiful Corvette soon.
The first surgery led to others, and the car sat for ten years. Over that time, the Corvette only left the garage for routine maintenance.
They kept this immaculate Supersonic Blue Grand Sport, hoping she could drive it again. Eventually, they saw the handwriting on the wall and began to search for a good home for it.
Over this journey, I felt a bond, a kinship with this couple over our shared love of this car. That’s why we named the vehicle “Betty” in honor of its original owner.
Mike Rogers from the club also gave my wife, Cindy, a keychain named “Betty” to keep those memories going as she enjoys this convertible Corvette.
Icing On The Cake
Rod Worley – Editor – Hiding even a small Christmas gift can be tricky sometimes. How did you hide the car until tonight’s unveiling at the end of the monthly club meeting?
Also, the 2013 model year is Corvette’s 60th anniversary. Didn’t you mention that was significant for this event as well?
Steve Hunnicutt – Well, it helps to have friends like Shane Wright, the President of Peach State Corvette Association. Shane met me when the car was delivered with 1831 miles on the odometer.
From there, he took it back to his home where he washed, and detailed it like was his own personal car.
Shane also stored it in his garage, drove it a bit to get the odometer to read 1860, and finally covered it in the parking lot for the presentation.
And yes, there is significance behind this being a 60th-anniversary Corvette because my wife, Cindy, turned 60 this month.
So, in the end, I found the Corvette she loved, which was Corvette’s 60th-anniversary model for her 60th birthday with 1860 miles on the odometer.
Sharing this heartfelt moment with our good friends at Peach State Corvette Club was icing on the birthday cake.
The Heart of Corvette
Special moments like these speak to the heart of the Corvette lifestyle.
You can’t listen to Steve talk about the newfound bond with the previous owners or see Cindy’s joy at getting the keys to her Corvette and not be profoundly moved.
The true power of America’s Sports Car doesn’t reside in its small block V8 engine but in how it brings people together.
We appreciate Steve Hunnicutt inviting us to participate in the celebration. It gave us a chance to see a milestone birthday turned into a lifelong Corvette memory.
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