Lynda Patterson of Louisville, KY Donates Car to "Replace" Museum's Sinkhole Ruby
On February 12, 2014, Lynda Patterson began getting phone
calls and texts from friends and family about a sinkhole that opened up at the
National Corvette Museum. She watched on television as the news broke showing
video and still images of the cars that had fallen. Her heart sank as she
locked right in on the 40th Anniversary Corvette sticking tail up
from the debris. As the owner of a 40th Anniversary Corvette
herself, it was almost like looking at her own car.
“It was quite a shock,” Lynda said. “Seeing that other Ruby
in the hole made me think that maybe I should give ours to the Museum soon. Almost
twenty years ago my husband Mike and I designated that our Ruby would go to the
National Corvette Museum anyway. He died in 2012 after being diagnosed with a
brain tumor a year earlier.” Thinking that he’d approve of giving the car to
the Museum earlier instead of later, she made the call and asked if they wanted
it. “The people at the Museum were very excited about having her. It made me
feel good that the people there would be taking care of her.”
This wasn’t easy to do. When she showed up on April 17, 2014
to make it official, she had to fight back happy tears, often losing as she was
overcome with emotion. “This is bitter-sweet. I’m so glad she’s coming here and
will be enjoyed by so many.”
The Patterson’s bought the car 22 years ago. They had seen it
in the showroom of Bob Smith Chevrolet and Lynda instantly fell in love with
it. “I asked Mike what he thought about it it and he said, ‘If you want it, get
it and take it home.’” They had a 1991
black Corvette at the time that Mike called his “Batmobile” but he was fine
with trading it in on the beautiful new Vette.
They enjoyed Corvette events in it, including a gathering of
40th Anniversary Corvettes a few years ago at the Museum. Getting
teary eyed Lynda says, “Some people may not get why I’d be so emotional about
it, but it is more than a car… it is memories.”
