How many left?

[Gary #41345]

Do we know how many remain of each year produced? I know various registries have some listed but has there ever been an effort made to find out how many remain in exsistance of each year?

[Jean C.]

Re: How many left?

Sounds like a project you can undertake Gary. Best of luck.
Charlie

[Warren F.]

Re: How many left?

Gary;

There was an Automotive Clearinghouse in Arizona, that charged a fee to check on the number of currently registered car models. Would be interesting to know how many 1967 Corvettes still remain runable, or 1970 Corvettes still present.

[James B.]

Re: How many left?

Hi Gary,

All I can say is I've been busting my butt to find out how many '59s are still floating around out there, and since I hit the 500 mark it's been rather quiet.. All along I've gone on the belief of locating the cars myself and putting up the results of my searches, because I believe that is the only way you are going to have the maximum amount of cars still out there.

I'm hoping that 500 isn't all that remain of 9,670 cars, and I'm sure there probably are still more out there- but until folks learn to have less of a phobia about the internet, I think I'm going to be rather limited in how much further I can get. If sellers of Corvettes would be kind enough to provide Registry creators like myself the VINs of the cars they have sold, I believe it would also be a huge help. Some dealers have provided me with info, but it's a short list unfortunately.

Is there a particular year you're trying to get info on?

Regards,

Jim Brady III
1959 Corvette Registry, Webmaster

http://www.59registry.com

[Joe R.]

Re: How many left?

While searching for ownership history on my own car last year, I ran across a company (in Chicago, I think) that specializes in collecting vehicle registration data. As I recall, they have been collecting registration data from every state, every year, for 50+ years. They use this data base to create various reports that are of interest to companies in the auto industry.

I spoke with a representative who told me that due to privacy laws, they can not release personal data for a specific car. Their data base is used only for compiling various types of statistical data.

Since I was interested in a specific car, that ended my discussion with them. However, the question that you are interested in might be something they could do that fits within their privacy restrictions.

If you are interested in this I could probably dig up the info on this company, but my guess is that the cost for an analysis might be high. Basically, the company's business involves selling statistical reports derived from their data base.

I do find it interesting to know that within that data base lies the complete ownership history of my car, and in fact every Corvette that was ever made (at least for the periods during which it was registered). It's tantalizing to know that the information does exist. However, they told me that they only release specific ownership data to law enforcement agencies. I've wondered whether someone in my local police department could do me a "favor" and check on my car for me......

[Gary #41345]

Re: How many left?

No, no particular year in general.....I have been asked more than once up here in the northeast where C2's are in short supply based on actual visuals during the course of a summer or two: "Gezze I don't see many of those anymore" seems to be a saying I'm going to hear alot of. I have had a few "How many of those are still on the road" which I can't answer I have no idea how many 66's are out there out of the 27,720 made....1000...6000...15,000? so I guess the questions of others just had me wondering if there was any way of gathering this info. or finding out if it was already available somewhere.

[Mike E.]

Re: How many left?

Law enforcement people are also the subject of privacy laws--for the most part, they have to log in when they make an inquiry, and are scrutinized as to how many/what kind of inquiries they make, and for what reason. That used to be an easy resource--no longer.

[Rick S.]

Re: How many left?

Mike,
You are right on the money. I worked in law enforcement for 30 yrs and 8 yrs at a local court where driving records and other inquires are made regularly. You now have to have what we call a complaint # or case # entered for any inquires and the state will run an audit occasionally. I know of one dispatcher and one court clerk that have lost their jobs for running a plate or driving record for someone. It's not worth it if you lose your job.

[John H.]

Re: How many left?

The R.L. Polk Co. maintains registration information by year (HUGE database) - their customers are primarily the automotive OEM's for demographic information, numbers for advertising claims (how many of "our" trucks are still running vs. "their" trucks, etc.). If a car has a current registration, they know it; if it's sitting in a garage without a current registration, they don't. Don't know if they pay any attention to really old cars like ours, but they are THE source of automotive registration information.

[Gary #41345]

Re: How many left?

On it....TY talked to them and they say they can retrieve that information and I am waiting for a price from them giving me the current amount of registered corvettes by a year by year basis for years 1953-1973 in the U.S.

[Norris W.]

Ain't our legal priorities great?

The law protects privacy records on vehicles, but allows everybody on the planet to access our credit information, and until HIPA came along a couple of years ago, health information also. Hell even our own bank and credit card companies sell us out by sellin' lists with names of people by credit category, sometimes putting them in the hands of their competitors even, and anybody with 8 bucks and an internet connection can buy a background check on anybody else, but heaven forbid we should ever try and track the history of an old car.

[Joe R.]

Re: How many left?

I presume you are referring to the R. L. Polk company that John Hinckley identified. I'm pretty sure this is the same company that I was trying to describe in my earlier post.

I think this is a great idea. It might be something that the NCRS itself would fund, but if a private collection is necessary I would be happy to contribute. If necessary, maybe we could place an ad in the Driveline asking for donations toward such an effort. Please post whatever info you get regarding the cost.

[Rob M.]

Re: How many left?

If a car is outside the States I would recon they don't know either...

greetings,
Rob.