Woman tracks down long lost Corvette belonging to her late brother

  • A woman tracked down and bought her late brother’s beloved Corvette
  • Ron Robinson had lovingly restored the car before his death
  • His sister found the car up for auction years later 

Published on Sep 06, 2024 at 2:39 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid

Last updated on Sep 06, 2024 at 1:41 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Tom Wood

A woman who tragically lost her brother in 2017 tracked down and bought his beloved burgundy 1962 Corvette years later.

Ron Robinson passed away due to heart failure at 69 years old, leaving behind his devastated family, including his sister Janet Wood. 

After Ron’s passing, Janet and the family thought they’d never see his prized restomod Corvette again. 

But by an incredible stroke of luck, the car turned up at auction last year – meaning Janet could snap it up. 

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Ron had restored the 1962 Corvette with his friend

Ron originally bought the stunning motor in the early 2000s and lovingly restored it alongside his best pal Ernie Miyamoto.

Miyamoto told WXYZ Detroit that his friend had ‘enjoyed the living cr*p’ out of the car after it was restored but that he only had a few good years in before his health began to deteriorate. 

Sadly, in 2017, Ron passed away, and unbeknownst to his family, one month later, the Corvette was sold. 

The family were crushed and thought that might be the last they’d ever see of the car. 

But a short time later, Janet says she spotted the 1962 Corvette out on the road and heading to a local dealership. 

“I see the car drive by me at the light, and I went ‘holy you-know-what,’ that was Ronnie’s car, I know it was,” she told WXYZ. 

Janet visited the dealership with the intention of buying the car a few days later but it had gone. 

The beloved vehicle ended up at auction

But in 2023 the Corvette popped into her head and she decided to see if she could track it down. 

Incredibly, she was in luck – the car was up for auction in Indianapolis. 

Knowing what she had to do, Janet packed her bags and headed out to the auction to try and get her hands on the vehicle. 

What Janet didn’t know at the time was that her story had reached other potential buyers, and in a touching display of kindness from the car enthusiasts, everyone else held off bidding so she could land the Corvette. 

“As soon as I bid, all the bidding stopped, the whole place went quiet,” she said.

Janet won and, after some additional renovations, the family held a memorial cruise in honor of Ron. 

“My brother’s riding shotgun with me, every time I drive this car, he’s right there,” she said.

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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Across her career she's covered a wide variety of topics, including celebrity, cryptocurrency, politics, true crime and just about everything in between.