Cape cod, massachusetts, heading to the small town of wellfleet. Im here to learn about a strange inheritance that shaped a familys life for half a century. My name is elena delbanco. In 2011, my sister and i inherited an extraordinary object from our father. This was my fathers home for many years. He and my mother built it in 1955. Elenas father was the virtuoso cellist Bernard Greenhouse, who died in 2011 at the age of 95. [ Classical Music plays ] greenhouse spent most of his career playing with the renowned hwa hvery harry wanm rym e its charmingch butcherut vinvolvitit bece re a meororororetistiti llcets, cernced arrearhed d wmw shldoupl be inone of te hehehehe rls fis sts ellos. S. S. Tant. Aent eqtol isl ipeeuroor f he we hwe hwealers alerd toto he wen w h wid w, have aver llos . Anhearrumo about greutat he found onend on thnd oe west german city of aachen. Your father came home with something he longed for, searched for. I was very young. But i knew that he had found something very important. Very important, indeed. It was a stradivarius, crafted in italy around 1707 by the master of them all, antonio stradivari. It even has its own aristocratic title, the countess of stanlein. Sound expensive . It was. It was a huge sum of money for us, for our family. And it made a huge difference in our lives to pay it off over many years. Dealers estimate bernard paid around 100,000, an astronomical sum in the late 1950s, when the average American House sold for 18,000. But for greenhouse, the instrument became a part of him. He called it every superlative you could call it his love, his treasure, his heart, his voice. At the height of his career, greenhouse performed nearly 200 times a year. I always wanted to hop in the cello case and travel with my father wherever he was going. When greenhouse wasnt in concert, he taught at the Manhattan School of music, juilliard, and here at home, in his cape cod studio. This is where elena also played the cello as a child. You sometimes put your name in his appointment book to try to get time with him in lieu of a lesson, erasing the name of a student that was actually coming. I didnt do that to get a cello lesson. I did that to get an hour of his time. Did you ever play the strad . No, never. Why . I never played well enough to play the strad. By whose opinion . I guess by my fathers, but i never wanted to. Can i hear him play . I would love it. [ midtempo Classical Music plays ] having the music is wonderful. Its hard but wonderful. [ music continues ] isnt it beautiful . Wow haunting. Whats the first thing you do when you have to decide whether to keep or sell the family jewel . I think the first question you ask yourself is, do you have any use for or love for the family jewel . And then, i think a big part of it also is, can you afford to keep the family jewel . The financial implications of this strange inheritance worry elena and her husband, nicholas, who are both College Professors nearing retirement. What would it have entailed to keep the strad . Insurance . Storage . Coming up, of course, with the taxes that the government wants. Did you hear from them . No, no, they just said, let those people keep their inheritance. [ laughs ] we have so many other people. Yes, of course. So, does that weigh in to whether you have to sell something, the fact that you have to pay taxes . Absolutely. So, what should elenas family do . They decide its too expensive to keep the strad. Theyre keenly aware that a successful auction could yield millions quite a nice nest egg in retirement. But selling a 300yearold stradivarius is no small undertaking. Its a cutthroat world in the world of musical instruments. We came to understand all kinds of things that could go wrong. Thats next. But first, our strange inheritance quiz question. The answer when we return. Thats what my dad does. Good job, michael ok, lindsey now tell the class what your mommy does. My mom has super powers. Its like she can see the future. What . its like she time travels in a rocket ship. Thats cool and then she comes back saying try this or try that. She helps everyone. She helps them feel less worried. Wow mommy, so what is it that you do . Im a financial advisor. She is aig proudly supports all the professionals taking care of our financial futures. Now you can trade stocks and etfs for any amount you choose instead of buying by the share. All with no commissions. Stocks by the slice from fidelity. Get your slice today. When master cellist Bernard Greenhouse dies at the age of 95, his heirs face a quandary what to do with his beloved stradivarius, worth millions of dollars. My father, in his will, left the cello to me and to my sister. He left no instructions. He was unable to confront the sale of the cello, and he preferred to let us figure it out so that he could have it till the very last day of his life. Im in boston to understand how elena and her family deal with their strange inheritance. Elena does her homework and decides to sell the strad through Chris Reuning from reuning son. Chris is a rareinstrument dealer. Hes also a cellist and a luthier, someone who makes or repairs stringed instruments. How do you decide what bernards stradivarius is worth . Well, i think the first thing, you have to evaluate the quality. And then it also helps to know what the market history has been. So, in the case of this cello, we did know what other stradivari cellos had sold for. And we could compare the quality of this one to those. Back in 2002, a similar cello sold for 5 million. But over the past several years, collectors have driven the price of rare instruments way up, and each one has its own history a unique story thats a big factor in whether it fetches a 6, 7, or even 8figure price at auction. Nobody knows this cellos story better than elenas husband, nicholas delbanco. A novelist by trade, delbanco actually wrote an entire book about the instrument. Its called the countess of stanlein restored, and it describes the painstaking restoration his fatherinlaw commissioned for the countess back in the 1990s. The wear and tear on such instruments is very high. Aside from all the physical stress, theres change in climate, change in temperature, change in humidity. And at a certain point, the cello was almost as weary as he. Nicholas book details a harrowing process. The cello was popped open with a knife and sat in pieces for months while some of its wood was patched. Bernie got more and more restless and more and more ready to have his hearts darling returned. He said, then, i will never let it go again, and he never did. But he did play the strad for more than another decade, and he let his students play it, too. In the last years of his life, bernard remained so attached to the cello that he slept with it. Chris reuning believes every serious bidder will demand proof that the countess has no significant hidden flaws. In this case, we actually did a c. T. Scan of the cello. Like a doctor does. Yes. Is that unusual . We dont do it very often, but in this case there were some questions, if there was a crack. Chris reuning called me one day here at the shop and said, john, ive got this cello that i need c. T. Scanned right away. Chris flies with the strad to a hospital in minnesota, where experts are ready to diagnose the patient. The worry . Vast sums could be wiped from this multimilliondollar sale if the countess has damage from cracks or, worse, wormholes made inside the cello by tiny larvae. Would that equate to thousands of dollars, hundreds of thousands of dollars . Another quiz question. The answer in a moment. Still your best friend. And now your copilot. Still a father. But now a friend. Still an electric car. Just more electrifying. Still a night out. But everything fits in. Still hard work. Just a little easier. Still a legend. Just more legendary. Chevrolet. Making lifes journey, just better. Noand if youre troubledan a liby falls and bleeds,ners. Worry follows you everywhere. Over 100,000 people have left blood thinners behind with watchman. Its a onetime, minimally invasive procedure that reduces stroke risk and bleeding worryfor life. Watchman. Its one time. For a lifetime. So youre a small bor a big one. You were thriving, but then. Oh. Ah. Okay. Plan, pivot. How do you bounce back . You dont, you bounce forward, with serious and reliable internet. Powered by the largest gig Speed Network in america. But is it secure . Sure its secure. And even if the power goes down, your connection doesnt. So how do i do this . You dont do this. We do this, together. Bounce forward, with comcast business. In the fall of 2011, the heirs of Bernard Greenhouse anxiously await the results of a c. T. Scan not on a person, but on a 300yearold stradivari cello, known as the countess of stanlein. Millions of dollars are at stake. Radiologist steven sirr performed a scan just like this one. The diseases that affect the old cellos, theyre usually caused by two things. One is cracks. The other abnormality is wormholes carved by larvae, which eat the channels of wood until sometimes theres hardly any original wood left. What exactly is happening as it goes through . The c. T. Scanner produces xrays, which are highenergy light beams and very thin sheets. This is the actual c. T. Scan of the stradivarius. Chris shares with me his bottom line. This cello has been in constant use since 1800. And its always been a players instrument. So, its been cared for beautifully. But there are cracks. Whatever tiny cracks there might be, they dont affect the cellos unique sound. Chris is able to set the official opening bid for Bernard Greenhouses stradivari cello at a cool 6. 2 million. Theres just one hitch. The delbancos might not accept the highest bid if its from such rich investor who just wants to lock the countess away in a vault. A cello is only half, perhaps not even half, itself if unheard. It had been his expressed desire and conviction that it be played. And you made a decision that the strad was better in the hands of someone who could play it than on the shelf of someone who would pay more for it . Well, potentially pay more for it, but we just didnt want it on a shelf. So, the idea was that they would be able to open the bids, look at all the factors the price, whos buying it and choose one of those bids. Chris agrees to this unusual condition. Its not every day you get to sell a 300yearold stradivarius. So, off he goes with the countess on a World Marketing tour. All the cellists that i showed it to were completely shocked about the sound. All of them said it was the best cello theyd ever played. I had to wonder. Is the sound of a strad really so divine . After all, researchers recently blindfolded professional musicians and had them play violins, mixing historic strads with top new ones. Most said they preferred the sound of modern instruments. So, i asked boston Symphony Orchestra cellist Mihail Jojatu to play two cellos for me, one modern and one from the 18th century, and not tell me which was which. Can you play each one to see if somebody who doesnt know as much as you do can tell the difference . Sure. My pleasure. You listen, too. What do you think . [ playing midtempo Classical Music ] that was spectacular. So, to me, that sounds as good as it gets. Lets try this one. I have to say that the sound sounded to me richer, deeper. You have a good ear. Really . Im shocked. Yes, this is a goodquality, modern cello. Its a couple years old. And this is mihails cello. This was made in what year . In 1780. I had one more request. If i were a student of yours, could you teach me to play one note . Sure. Chris, would you let me . I suppose, yes. You suppose . I sense hesitation. No, i trust you. [ cello screeching ] am i hurting the value of this cello . Yes. [ laughing ] im sorry i better stop. Returning to the tale of the countess of stanlein, it isnt long before sealed bids start coming in. In boston, chris sits down with the delbancos to open them and pick a buyer. What was the emotion in the room when you open the first bid for elena and nicholas to look at . You know, there was not a dry eye in the room because this cello was so much part of their life and signified her relationship to her father. Saying goodbye to the countess of stanlein were more painful than i expected it to be. We all sat down in a little Seating Group in his office, and we put the cello as part of the Seating Group, and i began to feel more and more upset, and we just closed the case. And ive never seen it again. In the end, the greenhouse heirs accept a bid they feel they cannot refuse. It comes not from a cello virtuoso but from a foreign billionaire. But thats one last twist to this story when we return on strange inheritance. We love our new home. Theres so much space. We have a guestroom now. But, we have aunts. Youre slouching again, ted. Expired, expired. Expired. Thanks, aunt bonnie. Its a lot of house. I hope you can keep it clean. At least geico makes bundling our home and Car Insurance easy. Which helps us save a lot of money oh, teddy. Did you get my friend request . Uh, ill have to check. doorbell ringing aunt jonis here for bundling made easy, go to geico. Com. Hello . Aso the national eye instituteon did 20 years of clinical studies on a formula only found in preservision. If it were my vision, id ask my doctor about preservision. Its the most studied eye vitamin brand. If it were my vision, id look into preservision. Only preservision areds2 contains the exact nutrient formula recommended by the nei to help reduce the risk of moderate to advanced amd progression. I have amd. It is my vision so my plan includes preservision. Eight months after virtuoso cellist Bernard Greenhouse dies, his heirs accept a secret bid on their stradivari cello. The price . All the auctioneer will say is that its significantly higher than the 6. 2 million opening bid. Whats significantly higher than 6. 2 million . Yeah, the reason im not disclosing the price is out of respect to the buyer. A fair bid to me is 15 to 20 higher. Significantly higher is 50 higher. Is it between 15 and 50 . Good try. [ chuckles ] okay, so i tried. And the delbancos are keeping it a secret, too. But in the end were they able to honor greenhouses wish, that the countess be played and not shut away in a vault or museum . The buyer, it turns out, is a canadian billionaire, jacqueline desmarais. She decides to permanently loan the countess to a 20yearold canadian virtuoso named stephane tetreault. Ive known about Bernard Greenhouse for years. Hes a huge figure in music history. To have the chance to even touch his cello was just an honor. After the auction, the delbancos never intended to see the countess again. Welcome. Thank you. Welcome. But then, we offered them a chance to meet stephane for the first time, at the Carriage House recital hall near boston. [ playing midtempo Classical Music ] as i listen, i cant help but think that if stephane performs as long as greenhouse did, the countess of stanlein will be heard for many decades to come. That was lovely. Bravo. So good to hear you play. What a pleasure to meet both of you. And you. Really. Really. That was very beautiful. I was quite nervous, actually. What a great pleasure. Pleasure. Let me just. Oh, there she is. So, in this tale of music and money, the delbancos seem satisfied that they have found a way to split the difference. More money might have made a difference in your life. How do you walk away from that . Theres never enough if you think in those terms. An extra million or six would hardly have mattered. I think it was a very special strad, and i think were really happy with the outcome. Before we go, i want to share this last thought. You know, years ago, back in the old days, Bernard Greenhouse and the trio could count on a break from the airlines when they had to fly the cello, allowing bernard to buy a childs ticket at halfprice. Well, once at the airport, a ticket agent called mr. Greenhouse over after seeing the name cello on the ticket and said, mr. Greenhouse, how old is your son, cello . To which bernard laughed, winked, and responded, 250 years old. Im jamie colby. Thanks so much for joining us on strange inheritance. And dont forget. You cant take it with you. Do you have a strange inheritance story youd like to share with us . Wed love to hear it. Send me an email or go to our website, strangeinheritance. Com. An automotive classic. Oh, my. It really moves. Well, its pretty quick. What is it about the corvette that has captured america . You have lamborghinis, and you got ferraris, but the American Sports car has always been the corvette. Its the dream that keeps a soldier going. Do you think that helped him get through very difficult times at war . Absolutely. The decision that vexes his heir. It was the most difficult thing ive ever done in my life. The ultimate for vette collectors. It was an urban legend that there was this impeccably original, pristinely kept 1967 corvette. We got three, four. And a mystery on wheels. Something is fishy because thats not there. [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] im jamie colby on the outskirts of chicago on my way to meet a guy whose strange inheritance takes us back to a time when american cars rule the road, america herself leads the free world, and a workingclass kid from the midwest just dreams of making it home. My name is Matt Litavsky. My father meant the world to me, and he left me a very special car that meant the world to him. He chose me to preserve it, but there came a time when i had to let it go. Hi, matt. Im jamie. Hi, jamie. Its nice to meet you. I know i came here to see your inheritance, this magnificent car, but when were done, you got to take me for a ride in this. All right. Well see about that. Im on my best behavior. Okay. To appreciate the car, says matt, you first need to know about his dad and why his 1967 corvette meant so much to him. Keith litavsky is born in lisle, illinois, in 1944. World war ii is drawing to a close. The cold war is about to begin. America is leading the charge, and nowhere is the countrys muscle bolder than on american roadways, which gm, ford and chrysler are pumping with some of the coolest cars on earth. Now it wasnt all about just having a fourdoor family car like it had been in the past. Auto analyst john kraman. The manufacturers jumped on board with a variety of highperformance cars, wild colors, the styling really affected by the aviation theme with the big fins and and the wild, futuristic styling. No wonder keith loves cars from boyhood. Long before he gets his license, he settles on his dream ride, the american beauty that first rolls off the Assembly Line in 1953 when hes 9 years old, the chevy corvette. The corvette just reset the bar totally with innovative styling and a fiberglass body, which at the time was unheard of. A decade later, in 1963, when keith is saving up for his first new car, chevy reintroduces the corvette with a new body style and renames it the stingray. Keith wants one more than ever, but the vettes 4k list price is way out of reach, so he settles for a little less. The plymouth belvedere was his first car he bought new. Has a 426 wedge in it, was what he could afford at the time. He doesnt have it long. In 1965, the war in vietnam is heating up, and uncle sam calls keiths number. He gets drafted, and he sells the plymouth belvedere to his brother. Soon, hes in the line of fire with no guarantee hell return. He was in reconnaissance, so he went through a lot of difficult situations there. He made a lot of good friends and lost a lot of good friends. If keith does get back home, hes making sure a big reward awaits him. In each letter to his family, he encloses his combat pay with a specific goal in mind, a brandnew corvette. Do you think that was a dream that he hung onto that helped him get through very difficult times at war . Absolutely. A lot of guys would flip through the flyers from the car dealers and pick out a car, and i think, psychologically, it helped them get through to know that theyll have that car there, so it was something to look forward to. Here is a strange inheritance quiz question. The answer after the break. Introducing stocks by the slice from fidelity. Now you can trade stocks and etfs for any amount you choose instead of buying by the share. All with no commissions. Stocks by the slice from fidelity. Get your slice today. Stocks by the slice from fidelity. So youre a small businor a big one. You were thriving, but then. Oh. Ah. Okay. Plan, pivot. How do you bounce back . You dont, you bounce forward, with serious and reliable internet. Powered by the largest gig Speed Network in america. But is it secure . Sure its secure. And even if the power goes down, your connection doesnt. So how do i do this . You dont do this. We do this, together. Bounce forward, with comcast business. Vietnam, april, 1966, Keith Litavsky is praying hell making it home to illinois and the dream car hes saving for, a chevy corvette. One day, as keiths unit is searching for the enemy, shots ring out in the jungle. A firefight erupts, bodies dropping everywhere. He carried his wounded Commanding Officer out. Literally carried . Literally carried him out of this firefight. Corporal litavsky makes it home in the winter of 1967. Still had shrapnel in his leg. Amazing. But came home with two purple hearts and a lot of interesting stories. And that car of his dreams is waiting for him this 67 chevrolet corvette, fresh off the Assembly Line. We actually had ordered the car while he was in vietnam, then came home and picked up the car. Marina blue finish, bright blue interior, sweet, plus red pinstripe tires and a black stinger, poetry on wheels. Keith even keeps the sales sticker from the dealer. How much did it cost . It was around 5,500. So he had to save for a while. Mmhmm. Its a lot of money back then. What the heck . Hes 23, just out of the army, single, handsome, buff. This ride perfectly fits his life but just for a fleeting moment. Keith enrolls in college on the g. I. Bill and marries crystal kierien. Shes divorced with five kids. Life had thrown crystal a curveball and keith was right there to catch it. Young guy, marries a woman with five children. Yeah. Five of you. Five of us how old were you when they got married . I think i was about five. What kind of a father was he . If i could be half the man he was id be a success. He was the best. And so were his wheels. One of my first memories takes place in the corvette. Me and my two brothers climbed in the back, and he gave us a ride. Meanwhile, chevy is working up big changes for the corvette, changes that will have profound consequences for this strange inheritance story. In 1968, the stingray body style takes on a kind of pre70s vibe. Some folks love the new vettes. Some hate them. Either way, those earlier corvettes quickly become collectibles, and the 67, the last of the old body styles, would become the ultimate. Those cars are regarded today as some of the most desirable and valuable corvettes of all time. Keith litavsky saw it coming. He knew he had a car that might be worth some money some day and decided to not drive it as much. Every time he drove it, he would write stuff down and log it in a logbook. Like what . Well, if he started it up, hed say, july 5th, 80 degrees outside, started the car, revved it up to 3,500 rpms three times and shut it down, or changed oil. According to keiths log, the odometer shows just 2,600 miles when he marries. He wont put very many miles on it after that. Even if he wanted to, he wont get the chance. When hes just 30 years old, hes diagnosed with testicular cancer. He was sick, in and out of the hospital a lot. The disease makes a long, slow march through his body. In 1992, at age 48, keiths prognosis becomes dire. Matt, now 28 and living on his own, moves back to his childhood home in suburban chicago to help his mom take care of his dad. You could just see that, from such a strong guy, that the cancer was just eating him alive, literally. On nights when keith is in too much pain to sleep, matt stays up with him, and they talk all night. He kind of opened up a lot about his time in vietnam, and it was difficult for him. And he entrusts matt to drive his prized car for the first time. He knew the car had to be driven. He could no longer shift the car, so it just about killed him to say, go ahead. Keith knows the car he dreamed of in the vietnam jungle, bought for 5,000 in combat pay and meticulously maintained ever since is now worth a lot more than that, six figures, easy, so as death nears, he must decide what to do with it. He was nervous that my brother might sell the car. He wanted to keep the car around as long as he could. When keith finally succumbs to cancer in 1993 at age 49, he leaves the corvette to matt alone. I think that was kind of his way of saying thank you. But matt senses the rest of his family feels left on the side of the road. It left a little animosity with my brothers and sisters because my dad loved all of us the same, but because i inherited the car, there was always some tension there. That tension worries him. One day, hell have to pass on this strange inheritance. Whatll he do when he hits that fork in the road . Were really going to go for a ride . Were going for a ride. Im ready. Here is another quiz question for you. The answer when we return. Here . Nah. Here . Nope. Here. When the middle of nowhere. Is somewhere. The allnew chevy trailblazer. You can go your own way go your own way your wireless. Your rules. Only Xfinity Mobile lets you choose shared data, unlimited or a mix of each. And switch anytime so you only pay for the data you need. Switch and save up to 400 a year on your wireless bill. With the carrier rated 1 in customer satisfaction. Call, click, or visit your local xfinity store today. Its arctic white, which made up 18 of new vettes sold, but if you guessed red, youre close. If you combine torch red and long beach red, the two shades add up to 20 . This 1967 corvette is the gift that vietnam soldier Keith Litavsky gives to himself for returning home alive. He buys it with his combat pay, maintains it meticulously, and drives it a mere 8,500 miles until his death in 1993. He added a lot to the documentation of the car and the validity of it. For me, it was more sentimental just going through it and seeing in dads handwriting how cool it was and how special. Absolutely. His son matt knows hes inherited much more than a 26yearold sports car but isnt sure what to do with it. It was years of prayers and, you know, saying, hey, god, what do you want me to do with this car . So he just maintains the classic even more fastidiously than his father had. The car has never been to a car show, you know. My neighbors didnt even know i had the car. Oh, my. Why would they . In the 2plus decades after his dad dies, matt marries, starts his own family but racks up just 30 more miles on the corvette. He takes it out rarely for a quick drive around the block just to keep all the parts working. Ah, sounds good, matt. Oh. Ah, that smell, too. I just love that. Its a beautiful thing. Smells like america. I love the way it looks. It looks like the day it came out of the showroom. Ive done my best. But while matts neighbors dont know about his strange inheritance, rumors abound in corvette world. I think youre right about that. It was sort of an urban legend for a long time, that there was this impeccably original, pristinely kept 1967 corvette. Corvette enthusiasts, in particular, go crazy over mintcondition, unrestored, original cars. Really bigmoney enthusiasts like former racecar owner gary runyon and his wife, jackie, of carmel, indiana. So what is it about the corvette that you think has captured america . You know, you have lamborghinis, and you got ferraris and all types of european cars, but the American Sports car has always been noted as the corvette. Like the runyons superrare 1957 airbox, only 43 of them were made, and their serial number 001, the first off the Assembly Line in 1965. Couple are always ready to add to their collection. What is your criteria . A real, unrestored, original engine, transmission, original interior and a story behind it. Well, theres certainly a great story behind matts corvette unless everything he thought he knew about his strange inheritance is wrong. Original, unrestored 67 corvettes, theres a little, tiny dot. I dont see it. And something is fishy because thats not there. Whats your strange inheritance story . Wed love to tell it. Send me an email or go to our website, strangeinheritance. Com. Nonvalvular afib can mean a lifetime of blood thinners. And if youre troubled by falls and bleeds, worry follows you everywhere. Over 100,000 people have left blood thinners behind with watchman. Its a onetime, minimally invasive procedure that reduces stroke risk and bleeding worryfor life. Watchman. Its one time. For a lifetime. Now, back to strange inheritance. In 1993, vietnam veteran Keith Litavsky dies and leaves his son, matt, his 67 corvette stingray. Off we go. Since then, its hardly left matts garage except for short drives to keep it running right. Whats this . Thats a st. Christopher medal for the patron saint of travelers. Yeah. So he kept it in here because he felt like it would keep the car safe. Oh, really . And, yeah, so i thought it should stay with the car. Its wonderful. But by 2016, matt is in his 50s and wondering about what would happen to the corvette if something were to happen to him. He knows a pristine, unrestored 67 is worth a fortune and recalls the tension among his siblings after his father left the car solely to him. I have two boys and a daughter, and splitting a car three ways is not easy. Mm. Splitting money three ways is a lot easier. After a lot of soulsearching, matt decides its time to sell. So it was a decision that, honestly, i prayed for, for years. Matt brings the corvette and his fathers story to Mecum Auctions in wisconsin. Remember john kraman . Hes their director of consignments, and they discover a big problem. Part of the build process of the very unique fiberglass body of the corvette has a little mold dot thats just part of the normal manufacturing process. You know, imagine our surprise that that little hoodchannel dot is missing. Its about the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. David burroughs, mecums automobile authentication expert, pinpoints the problem for me. So if you count in 13 of these ribs, it would be right about in the center of this little gutter. But its missing. So restored cars, that gets all sanded off to make it look pretty and shiny, and then that little fingerprint gets obliterated, and so that implies that this car has been either restored, or at least something is fishy. I knew what i had, and i knew everything i had was genuine and real. That one little dot could be the difference between someone believing you and not believing you. And a difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction, but how do you prove what was or wasnt done to a 50yearold car . The mecum team scrambles. They track down other 67 corvettes manufactured around the same time. We were able to collect photos of unrestored cars in this vin range and the serial numbers where this car fits in that vin range. All 67s . Oh, yes, and none of them had the dot. Dot mystery solved. Its a home run in the world series. May 20, 2017, the 67 corvette, along with all of its documentation, hits the Auction Block 50 years after it was sold to Corporal Keith richard litavsky, who gave himself a present for returning home from battle alive. The 1967 corvette is making its way into the building with Matt Litavsky behind the wheel. And with a heartfelt tribute in honor of matts father. [ taps playing ] they just really paid a great tribute to my dad and the car. And here we go. Start the bid befitting a classic American Sports car, wouldbe buyers maneuver fast and furiously to own the corvette with the classic american story. The bidding starts at 100k. Three, four, 300,000, on the bid. Its off to the races. Five, now 500,000, anybody . It blows through the halfmil mark in seconds. Got 75, 25, go 25 and then. Sold, 675,000 you may recognize that gentleman there in the checked shirt. That is gary runyon with his wife, jackie. That same husbandandwife team, the rarecar collectors we met earlier in indiana. It was totally unrestored, you just purchased that car. I see tears of joy. It appears that this story is going to have a happy ending. It will. Yes. Matt was a great caretaker for his dads vehicle, and to be frank with you, i believe thats exactly what jackie and i are. Again, god answered my prayer. I didnt pray for money. I prayed for it to go to a good home. Of course, that 675,000 will go a long way, but the values inherited from his dad will go even farther. What are you thinking . I was just thinking about how he. I think he instilled in all my brothers and sisters a lot of perseverance and just getting through anything. Didnt matter what it was, youll get through it what did he teach you about america . You know what . Its the land of the free, home of the brave, and theres no bs there. Even though the corvette has been around now for more than 60 years, its nowhere near retirement. In fact, its become a verb. Corvette lovers like to say theyre vetting, an apropos phrase for matts father, the vet who loved his vette. Im jamie colby. Thanks so much for watching strange inheritance. And remember you cant take it with you. Maria good mondays morning everyone thanks for joining us im Maria Bartiromo and it is monday september 21st your top stories right now 6 a. M. On east coast we have a global selloff underway this morning futures are down sharply. Kicking off week underwater down 560 points right now. Investors on edge over Political Uncertainty as well as the coronavirus. The dow, nasdaq and s p 500 closer to Third Straight week of losses in a row last week the longest losing streak of the year, and the selling continue it is this morning. Questions over the tiktok deal as well. President trump approving great in concept but National Security threat remains concern. What secretary of s