The Plymouth Belvedere will undoubtedly evoke exciting associations with many, because this was of course the car that starred as ‘Christine’ in the 1983 film of the same name. Yet that is not all that this Plymouth became famous for. On a slightly more local level, the Belvedere was known as the ‘time capsule car’. After all, a brand-new specimen was buried in 1957 and excavated again fifty years later.
The third generation of the Plymouth Belvedere, when it was unveiled in 1957, was a pretty futuristic car. The large grille, wide and quite flat nose, fins on the back and the stretched roofline and panoramic windscreen did justice to the accompanying advertising slogan ‘Now it is suddenly 1960!’. A striking car, which, according to Stephen King, lends itself perfectly to a leading role in his book about a murderous car. For the residents of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Belvedere was a perfect car for a playful and eye-catching action to publicize their city. A brand new Belvedere would be buried as a time capsule at the town’s birthday party in June 1957. “This car is a perfect example of cars of this century, and this style is yet to appeal in fifty years,” said the initiator of the Belvedere.
To bury
Brand new, ready to be buried
The idea was clear: the two-door Belvedere, with just under 10 kilometers on the clock, had to be buried well packed. After all, the car was to be excavated fifty years later and it was supposed to look as if time had stood still. To do that, the car was injected with the corrosion inhibitor Cosmoline, wrapped in plastic and buried in a concrete ‘grave’, just in front of the Tulsa courthouse. The grave was sealed with a steel plate and then a thick layer of sand was scooped over it.
The Belvedere started the long rest of fifty years, with various objects on board. For example, a crate of beer, oil, several liters of gasoline, a pack of cigarettes, women’s gloves, lipstick and $ 2.73 were buried in the car. Residents of Tulsa were also asked to guess the population of Tulsa in 2007. The estimates were written down and placed in a glass jar in the Belvedere. The one who would be closest to it in 2007 won the car.
Excavated
Before excavating the Belvedere on June 15, 2007, there were already concerns about the condition of the car. Despite the precautions, it was expected that leaks would likely have occurred in the concrete tomb. Obviously, this could have major consequences for the car over such a long period. When the steel plate was finally removed, the concerns were confirmed almost immediately. The Belvedere emerged in the partly water-filled space and clearly surrounded by a very dirty and rust-colored plastic casing. The fear was that the time capsule aspect had not fully come into its own and that was indeed the case when the car was carefully lifted.
The Belvedere is being excavated. (Photos: Jason Veale)
The car was completely covered with rust and mud inside and out. The key was rusted in the ignition, the engine was completely rusted and could no longer make a stroke and in some cases the objects in the car could hardly be found. For example, the crate of beer had turned into a collection of empty cans: the beer had seeped out of the rotted cans. So it was a nice idea, but not a resounding success. However, there turned out to be some hope that the car could still do a lot with the right rust treatment and cleaning techniques. A piece of almost perfect chrome under the thick layer of mud and rust-attracting Cosmoline provided a spot of light at the end of the tunnel.
Not exactly the showroom condition that they had in mind. (Photo: Jason Veale)
Refurbished
The car was won by no doubt overjoyed Catherine Johnson. She was the sister of the late Ray Humbertson, whose prediction of the population of Tulsa in 2007 turned out to be the most accurate. Johnson’s cousin took delivery of the car for her and decided to take it to a company (Ultra One) that could remove the rust and grime. The car then remained with that company for years. The economic crisis halted work on the car for a while, but business owner Dwight Foster eventually picked it up again. With results, because the car is in terms of exterior nowadays much better than when ‘Miss Belvedere’ emerged in 2007.
This is what Miss Belvedere looks like today. (Photo: Dwight Foster)
Ideas to make the car drivable again turned out to be unrealistic, according to Foster. The basis was so weakened and even the sheet metal was, according to him, ‘like papier-mâché’. Over the years, Foster threw a whopping $ 10,000 over the years to, as carefully as possible, earn some credit for the appearance of the Belvedere. Nevertheless, the scars of the time underground are still clearly visible. The owner’s cousin has reportedly donated the refurbished car to a museum in Roscoe, Illinois.