Meet Ms. Belvedere

Friday, June 15th 2007, 8:28 pm

By: News On 6

After half a century underground, there are plenty of questions Friday night about Tulsaâ€™s buried Belvedere. What does it look like after 50 years? Is it rusty? Will it start? Did all the artifacts turn to dust? News On 6 anchor Omar Villafranca reports all of those questions were answered.

After 50 years of waiting, the â€˜57 Plymouth Belvedereâ€™s protective coatings were peeled off. Time and water took its toll on the car buried underground in downtown Tulsa. During its 50 years underground, water leaked into the vault, and years of rust covered the buried treasure.

Back in 1957, organizers put a glass jug of gas in the car just in case fossil fuels were history. The gas survived, but the tank it was meant to fill up didn't.

The beer in the trunk is no longer drinkable, but the event wasn't a total loss.

Buried next to the Belvedere was a time capsule. The contents survived decades underground.

Plates, yearbooks, coins and even newspapers were pulled out of the capsule, looking as crisp as they did when they were buried half a century ago.

While the car might not be recognizable, the memories it brought back are still fresh and will be talked about for the next 50 years.

If you missed Friday night's special broadcast "The Buried Car and What's Inside" you have two more opportunities to see it. The unveiling of the Belvedere will air on our sister station, the CW12/19, at 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Watch the video: The Buried Belvedere Unveiled

Watch the video: News On 6 Coverage Of The Unveiling Of Tulsa's Belvedere

Watch the video: Unearthing The Belvedere

Watch the video: Time Capsule Removed From Belvedere Vault

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4/17/2007 Unearthing Tulsaâ€™s History

06/01/2007 Tulsa's Population Holds The Key To A Piece Of Tulsa History

6/7/2007 The Story Behind A Famous Photograph

6/9/2007 Crews Practice Lifting The Buried Belvedere

6/12/2007 Crews Prepare For The Unearthing Of The Buried Belvedere

6/13/2007 Water Seeps Into Vault Holding Buried Car

6/15/2007 Hundreds Gather To Catch A Glimpse Of Tulsa's Belvedere

6/15/2007 Belvedere Lifted From The Vault