A 1959 Corvette seized by Kansas police six years ago that’s facing destruction because of a VIN plate discrepancy could be saved from the crusher if a new bill becomes law.
According to current regulations in the state, any vehicle or trailer with a “destroyed, removed, altered, or defaced” VIN can be seized and destroyed, which is exactly what was in store for Richard Martinez’s classic C1 Corvette. Martinez bought the C1 in good faith for $50,000 from an Indiana dealer in 2016, but had his car seized when a Kansas state trooper discovered a problem with its VIN during a routine inspection.
Authorities later satisfied themselves that Martinez was innocent of any wrongdoing, but the car wasn’t so lucky. In accordance with the law it still had to be crushed as “contraband”, although it was given a reprieve when Martinez filed a suit in Johnson District Court. Five years later he’s still waiting for the outcome.
The existing law’s purpose is to cut down on car crime and fraud, but it doesn’t take account of the reality that many old cars legitimately need to have their VINs removed to allow repairs to be made to that area or during a full restoration. House Bill 2594 makes allowances for that, while also exempting owners who didn’t know their car was stolen. It was approved by the Kansas House on Monday, according to the Kansas Reflector.
Related: The 1969 Corvette Barrister Is Certainly One Very Interesting (And Bizarre) Creation
“I don’t blame the Kansas Highway Patrol with what they’re doing in this case,” Rep. Leo Delperdang told his House colleagues. “They’re doing their job. I blame the rule makers. That’s us in this room. We have the ability to do something for the better moving forward.”
But not everyone from the Kansas Highway Patrol was feeling so forgiving. KHP superintendent, Col. Herman Jones, objected to the bill, the Kansas Reflector says. Jones claimed VINs could already be removed if the owner or shop working on the car cooperated with troopers to document the removal and reinstallation. He also suggested that the new bill could be modified to mandate a vehicle inspection by KHP before VIN plate removal.
“This would allow us to document the vehicle’s identity and the removal process, thus protecting innocent citizens of Kansas from fraud, while still holding those accountable who traffic in stolen vehicles,” he said.
Both images used here are for reference only, courtesy RM Sotheby’s
H/T to Corvette Blogger
