Imagine this: The year is 2007, and a gold-and-white 1957 Plymouth Belvedere sports coupe with dramatic rear fins is unearthed after spending 50 years buried beneath the lawn of the Tulsa, Oklahoma courthouse.
This moment marked the culmination of a unique historical event. In 1957, to celebrate Oklahoma’s 50th year of statehood, officials sealed a time capsule within a cement vault beneath the courthouse lawn.
Alongside Tulsa memorabilia and a can of gasoline intended to power the car into the future, they buried the brand-new Plymouth Belvedere, affectionately nicknamed “Miss Belvedere.”
The hope was that in 2007, on Oklahoma’s centennial, the car could be unearthed, pristine and ready for its next owner to drive away.
However, when the vault was opened in 2007, reality painted a different picture. The cement enclosure had not been watertight. Decades of water intrusion left the car severely damaged.
Rust coated the exterior, and the interior was completely ruined, filled with mud, rust, and tangled wiring. Structural damage was extensive, and the historical memorabilia placed on the car’s seats was destroyed.
The unearthed car, though far from its former glory, still drew significant interest. “Miss Belvedere” eventually found a permanent home at the Historic Auto Museum, located at 13825 Metric Drive, Roscoe, Illinois.
The city of Tulsa donated the car to Wayne Lensing, the museum’s owner. Copies of the historical novel The Buried Plymouth, written by Sanford Miles, are available at the museum.
Sanford Miles, inspired by the tale of “Miss Belvedere,” wrote The Buried Plymouth: A Story Unearthed in Tulsa. His novel blends history and fiction, imagining that a Tulsa resident, Jacob Duncan, secretly hid an object of incredible historical significance and value inside the Plymouth.
The book draws parallels to Stephen King’s Christine in its intertwining of car lore and compelling storytelling.
Miles, a classic car enthusiast and former English teacher, explained that his fascination with the story of “Miss Belvedere” led him to purchase a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere of his own in 2013.
He named this car “Mr. Belvedere” and noted that it cost him $35,000—far more than the original $2,400 price tag.
Though beyond restoration and of limited monetary value, the unearthed Plymouth remained a cultural artifact. Tulsa originally hoped to donate the car to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., but the Smithsonian declined.
Instead, officials reached out to auto museums across the country, and Wayne Lensing eagerly accepted the opportunity to preserve the car’s story.
In 2017, the vehicle arrived at the Historic Auto Museum and was placed in storage. Later, when Lensing expanded the museum to a total of 86,000 square feet, he dedicated a special room to “Miss Belvedere.”
The room features graphics detailing the car’s unique history, and items like a gallon of gas and a case of Schlitz beer—nods to the 1950s era—are displayed on the car’s hood.
Visitors to the Historic Auto Attractions Museum can view “Miss Belvedere” and purchase copies of The Buried Plymouth.
The museum, located in Roscoe, Illinois, continues to celebrate automotive history, offering enthusiasts and historians alike a chance to reflect on the stories of classic cars and the culture that surrounds them.