TULSA, Oklahoma (Reuters) - A car buried half a century ago in a time capsule had been transformed into a hunk of junk by the time it was unveiled on Friday as part of Oklahoma's Centennial.
The concrete vault, built in 1957 and meant to be opened this year to celebrate Oklahoma's Centennial as a state, has leaked in the intervening 50 years and most of its contents were ruined, to the dismay of those hoping to find a pristine, gold '57 Plymouth Belvedere.
Would-be auto restorers unwrapped 1950s-era protective covering from the mud-caked relic onstage Friday evening at the Tulsa Convention Center, revealing a ruined hulk with rotting upholstery, collapsed suspension, flat tires and an engine that appeared to be a solid chunk of rust.
Officials said they feared the worst when the time capsule was opened earlier this week to reveal four feet of standing water.
The unveiling of the car was to be the centerpiece of a city celebration featuring a classic car show, a "sock-hop" and the showing of a film playing in 1957 at the time the car was buried. "When we saw the water in there we were completely devastated," said event co-chair Sharon King Davis.
"We had such hopes."
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