[ 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. 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. The allnew silverado hd adds to the legendary capability of the strongest, most advanced silverados ever. With best in class Camera Technology and larger, more functional beds than any competitor. The only truck that can compare to a silverado is another silverado. Truck month is the right time to get behind the wheel of the chevy silverado. Now, get 0 financing for 72 months plus 500 dollars cash allowance on all silverado 1500 crew cab pickups. Find new roads at your local chevy dealer. All im askin is for a little respect excuse me maam, would you like to have my seat . Respect find out what it means to me respect take care. Tcb, oh whats going on . Hes becoming septic. [male narrator] infections can lead to a deadly Chain Reaction called sepsis. [nurse] beds ready, lets move him. [narrator] if you know the risks, can spot the symptoms and act fast, then you can get ahead of sepsis. Learn more at cdc dot gov slash sepsis. Wthats why xfinity hasu made taking your internetself. And tv with you a breeze. Really . Yup. You can transfer your Service Online in about a minute. You can do that . Yeah. And with twohour Service Appointment windows, its all on your schedule. Awesome. So while moving may still come with its share of headaches. No kidding. Were doing all we can to make moving simple, easy, awesome. Go to xfinity. Com moving to get started. 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. While the world keeps fighting for your attention. Well keep building smarter suvs. To help keep you focused on the road ahead. And. The road beside. Did we mention the road ahead. With an available best in class. Epa estimated combined fuel economy and the technology to practically park itself. This is the reimagined 2020 ford escape. I want my kids to have better i doppurtunites than i had. Fe and inspired to learn. I wish we had classes like the schools across town. I want to hold our elected officials accountable. School boards transform communities, speak up at yours and make your voice heard. Text school to 225568 to find out how you can get involved. We should have classes on how to be an entrepreneur. I want to make a difference in my community. Lets pay teachers like the professionals they are. We need to prepare students for the jobs of the future. School boards transform communities. Speak up at yours and make your voice heard. Text school to 225568 to find out how you can get involved. 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, absolutely gorgeous. I gave a thumbs up and a head nod, and gary said, 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. Shes a jetsetter in the golden age of travel. Pan am flight attendants were iconic. Did she fit the bill . I think shecreatedthe bill. Bringing back these from around the globe. Indonesian, african, chinese they came from everywhere. I thought she was a smuggler, which made it even more exciting. What . are they just silly trinkets. Is there a big market for beads . Theres a big market for beads. This is the real deal . This is the real deal. Or historical treasures worth a mint . Thedalai lama . Yes. [ gavel bangs ] bidder 561 is for 11,000. [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] im jamie colby, thrilled to be on my latest adventure, here in San Francisco. The woman at the heart of this story also loved to travel and took home the smallest of souvenirs from every place she visited. Those tiny keepsakes could add up to abigpayday for her heirs. My name is lise mousel. For over half a century, my glamorous aunt naomi traveled the world in style. She always had a surprise for us, but the biggest one came after she passed away. [ knock on door ] i want to know more about those surprises, so i meet lise and her mother, carol, at the condo where aunt naomi lived for more than 30 years. Lise now calls the place home. Oh, i love the way its decorated minimalist. It wasnt always true, when naomi was