by Classic 1962 Chevrolet Corvette Turns Out to Be a Duplicate
Dale Wilkinson purchased his 1962 Chevrolet Corvette back in 2006. However, during a move to Florida in 2022, he encountered a strange situation – when attempting to register the car, it turned out that an identical vehicle with the same VIN was already registered in Texas. The owner believes that someone intentionally created a copy of his car.
Wilkinson’s lawyers suspect that the replica could have been assembled by an experienced craftsman who then sold it as an original. The current owners of the “duplicate” claim they purchased the vehicle at a Mecum auction in 2022 and have provided the court with corresponding documents. An examination revealed that the VIN on the suspected car is made of aluminum, not steel like the original, and features a different font.
“Whoever loses the case will be forced to obtain a new VIN through the police, which will destroy the car’s collector value,” stated Wilkinson’s attorney, Steven Heringer.
According to expert estimates, if the originality of Wilkinson’s Corvette is not confirmed, his car could lose up to $110,000 in value. A court hearing is scheduled for next year, but for now, the parties are attempting to reach an agreement through mediation.
Similar cases of VIN forgery on collector cars occur infrequently but always lead to serious legal consequences. This is especially true for rare models, where each specimen has a history and documentary proof of authenticity. In this case, the outcome of the mediation could become an important precedent for similar disputes in the future.
