- Man Donates 1963 Coupe To National Corvette Museum
- Split-Window Donation
- New Exhibit
- Generous Donation
- Greater Good
- Saying Goodbye
- Selfless Act
Man Donates 1963 Coupe To National Corvette Museum
When the NCM needed a split-window to show off, it didn’t have to look far to find one.
Split-Window Donation
Cars and various other forms of memorabilia get donated to the National Corvette Museum all the time, a boon for the facility and passionate fans of America’s sports car. Recently, the museum let the world know that it was looking for a 1963 Corvette coupe to add to its collection, and an owner by the name of Manny Balale out of Wichita, Kansas heeded that call with this stellar split-window.
New Exhibit
It all came about as the NCM was looking to create a new exhibit dedicated to the split-window Corvette, as it explained in an article published in the October/November/December 2021 issue of America’s Sports Car magazine titled “Split Decision.” Turns out, the museum didn’t have a 1963 coupe that it could feature in this display, however.
Generous Donation
Luckily, Balale saw that particular article and also happened to own this gorgeous silver coupe, which he was more than willing to offer up for the new exhibit. He’s owned the car since 2008, which is when his years-long search for the right split-window ended.
Greater Good
As Balale explains in the video, he found this C3 in Salt Lake City, where it was part of a larger car collection. He purchased it and drove it back to Wichita, and has enjoyed it for the last 14 years. Balale has taken the car to quite a few car shows and wrenched on it some, but now, says that it’s time to move on for the greater good.
Saying Goodbye
“I feel real good about the car coming here,” Balale said. “In many ways, I feel like the car is coming home. I will also smile and think of all the great times I’ve had with the car, and also all the great times that other people had seeing it and enjoying it, and I’ll take a lot of satisfaction in knowing that people will continue to enjoy it by coming here to the museum. And it will also be maintained properly, so this is where it belongs.”
Selfless Act
Balale clearly understands just how historically significant the split window truly is, and now, countless fans will get to see his car teaching us all about that pivotal moment in Corvette history. And if that isn’t a selfless act, well, we don’t know what would qualify for that distinction.
For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our How-to section in the forum.
Keyword: Man Donates 1963 Coupe To National Corvette Museum