OK, I'm trying to deal with a 1947 vehicle issue, so, hard to relate it to a Corvette thing. However, in the state of Tenessee, I'm being told that the State did not have vehicle titles = only a bill of sale. Does that sound OK to you??? Thanks, Dennis
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Re: C1 or before
Dennis----
No, it doesn't sound ok, but I would not be surprised if that's the way it was/is. The titling practice of many states "in the old days" was very strange. For instance, early 50s Mercedes-Benz models in California were titled by engine number, even though the cars had a body serial number. So, if you have one and the engine block is changed, then you have nothing to prove that you really own the car that you hold a "pink slip" for---the "pink slip" no longer has any connection to the specific car. This actually happened to an old friend of mine and it cost him a mountain of expense and headaches.
A bill of sale in lieu of a more formal vehicle title doesn't sound, at all, out of the realm of possibility. In the "earlier days" I think that a "bill of sale" was the basic titling document in many states. Believe it or not, even today for off-highway construction equipment, a bill of sale is the basic ownership document. If you own a million dollar+ Caterpillar D-11, your ownership rights are conferred by a bill of sale. That's it.
In any event, I'd definitely want to confirm the bill of sale titling with the Tennessee department of motor vehicles before I purchased a vehicle under that assumption.In Appreciation of John Hinckley -
Re: C1 or before
Dennis,
NY didn't start with titles until 1974. Anything prior to 1974 was and still is transferred by the vehicle registration for the car. That's the only ownership papers that are still available for vehicles prior to 1974 in NY.Comment
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Re: C1 or before
Massachusetts didn't go to titles until the early 1970s. Many states didn't become title states for automobiles until then or a few years before. I'd be surprised if there were any title states in 1947.
When a state did go to titles, they usually exempted cars that were more than 10 years old at that time. So, if Tennessee became a title state after 1958, this car wouldn't have received one.
Now the question remains, could you get one if you applied? Sounds like you want one. Ask them. Massachusetts recently told me no for my '62. But I'm told they did give one to somebody else. Now trying to determine if the situations were the same or different.Comment
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Re: C1 or before
Dennis,
Alabama does not issue titles for cars made prior to 1975. That is one of the reasons that Alabama used to be the place to bring stolen cars for resale.
In Alabama, for a car older than 1975, you need a bill of sale AND some sort of proof that the person selling the car actually owns it. This is usually an old vehicle registration. The vehicle registration is used for license plates, taxes, etc. Trying to gain ownership of an old car that the current owner cannot prove ownership on gets kind of interesting. However, a friend of mine bought an old Chevy basket case and got a bill of sale. The seller did not have an old registration. My friend took the bill of sale to the license dept and caught them on a good day. They didn't even ask for proof of previous ownership. My friend was able to register the car in his name, and get a new tag and registration. This registration is sufficient to sell that car, and to get a title issued in those states that do title older cars.
I suspect that Tennessee is very similar to this. I work with a number of people who live in Tennessee (Huntsville is 25 minutes to the Tennessee line). I'll ask them and post their answer.Comment
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Re: C1 or before
I purchased two Corvettes, a 70 and 71, both from original owner New York people. Both cars were not titled when purchased by me as they were originally bought prior to the title laws in New York as Vinnie pointed out. Both had documentation back to the original selling dealer and in one case I had the original 1970 registration. I went to the Massachusetts RMV and applied for title, and in both cases it was granted without any questions.Comment
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Re: C1 or before
Thanks guys... & will be looking for your post Ed.Comment
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Re: C1 or before
OK Dennis, here is the story.
Tennessee started issuing titles in 1951. Any vehicle manufactured prior to that would not get a Tennessee title. Proof of ownership would be by vehicle registration.
In order to register a car made prior to 1951 in Tennessee you would need a bill of sale from the owner, and something to show that the person selling the car actually owned it. A title from another state, or a vehicle registration from another state is what is normally used.
When buying a car in Tennessee that was made prior to 1951, you need to make sure that the seller can prove that they own the car. Otherwise, you may not be able to get it titled / registered in your state. Your state's DMV can tell you what paperwork they would need in order to bring a pre-1951 car in from Tennessee.
FYI: The toll free number for Tennessee Department of Safety (which handles titles) is 888-871-3171. Good luck, and let me know if I can help.Comment
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Re: C1 or before
BOY, YOU'LL LOOK REAL SHARP IN THAT 47 NASH BATHTUB. THEY ARE ALSO AS QUICK AS YOUR C-1s. mikieComment
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Not a Nash - they at least had value at
drive-=in movies - dipstick is buying a Crosley.Comment
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Re: Not a Nash - they at least had value at
Let's just say I'm looking at a split window sedan. That's enough fodder for you guys to play with for weeks.Comment
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Re: C1 or before
Ed... Thanks very much. Appreciate your research and response. DennisComment
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