Finding one low-mileage classic car tucked away in a barn can is something many enthusiasts dream of. Finding several takes it to a whole new level, and when those classics are Corvettes, it borders on epic. Yes, that's an overused word in the car community, but how else would you describe a 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 still wearing delivery plastic with 25 miles on the odometer? And that's just the start of this 23-car discovery.
The ZR-1 is part of a collection that includes no less than nine Corvettes, three pickup trucks, classic and modern muscle cars, and more. Video of the collection comes to us from The John Clay Wolfe Show on YouTube, taking us up close as the vehicles were inspected and shipped to Texas where they now reside. Joining the ZR-1 is a 1988 35th Anniversary 'Vette with 25 miles, and stepping back to the C3 era, there's a 1979 Stingray with 41 miles. It's still wrapped in delivery plastic as well, but if you're into higher-mile barn finds, there's a 1974 Stingray with 30,000 miles. The oldest Corvette is a 1971 Stingray with 1,600 miles.
Not into Corvettes? The collection includes a 1990 Chevrolet 454 SS pickup – arguably the truck that started the modern muscle-truck era – with only 19 miles on the odometer. Its crosstown rival from Ford is also there, namely a 1999 F-150 SVT Lightning with 46 miles. A classic Chevy C10 from 1966 shows 9,000 miles, and speaking of classics, there's a 1965 Mustang Convertible and a 1968 Camaro SS 396 in the mix. Want a modern version of the Ford/GM pony car rivalry? A 2003 Mustang SVT Cobra with 4,900 miles is in the collection, along with a 2001 Pontiac Firebird Trans AM WS6 that has just 247 miles.
But wait, there's more.
How about a 2010 Camaro SS with 47 miles, or a 1987 Buick Grand National with 13,800 miles? There are even some properly big cars in the mix, like a 1973 Lincoln Continental Mk IV and yes, it's also a low-miler with 830 miles. Jumping back to Corvettes, the find includes a pair of C5s, one of which is a 1998 Indy 500 pace car edition. It's traveled a whopping 23 miles.
The amazing collection was amassed over many decades by Earl Trammel, an Alabama businessman and car connoisseur who passed away in 2022. A press release from GiveMeTheVin.com details the collection, which went to Trammel's ex-wife and subsequently to GiveMeTheVin. A video sent to Motor1.com features company founder John Clay Wolfe talking about the discovery.
"After we bought [the pace car] I was like, what else does she have?" said Wolfe.
Working with his business partner John Pierce on this acquisition, they learned the extent of the collection and stepped up to buy the lot. The press release from GiveMeTheVin states the cars will be showcased for auction next spring, though Wolfe doesn't seem so sure about actually selling the lot. For now, anyway.
"It was in a tiny little barn in Alabama that looked ridiculous, like you’d never expect there were a million dollars worth of cars in there," explained Wolfe. "I don’t know what to do. I know they’re not going down in value, so we’re good there. I may be like the crazy guy that bought them. I may die and the next time you hear about them is when I die and people come to scoop them out of my barn. I’m very happy to have them and this is by far the biggest find of my career."
