good or bad or anything, they just dislike him. david: we gotta leave it at that stephanie thank you for being here. a quick programming know you can catch me every week night at 5:00 p.m. eastern arm bulls >> i have been called to lead my people from bondage. >> a preacher slave unleashes holy hell. >> he felt that his purpose was to be a redeemer. >> their ancestors nearly wiped out... >> did you know of the connection to nat turner? >> it was just something that we kind of talked about quietly. >> their strange inheritance? a piece of history. >> did you think to yourself there's any chance this really could be nat turner's bible? >> my first reaction was one of, "is this a crank call?" >> what do you think it's worth? >> i was told several millions of dollars. >> what will the family do? >> it wasn't the proper place and time to really talk about it. [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ]

[ bird caws ] ♪ >> i'm jamie colby in southampton county, virginia. i'm here to visit a family, some of whose ancestors were murdered in the nat turner slave revolt. their strange inheritance? a powerful and some would say holy relic of that bloody and historic rampage. >> my name is wendy creekmore-porter. my stepfather inherited a bible with a controversial past. he's 88, and his memory's going, so he asked me to tell our family's story. >> hi, wendy. i'm jamie colby. so nice to meet you. i meet wendy at persons methodist church. the forebearers of her stepfather, maurice person, started the church in 1838, seven years after the family is nearly decimated in nat turner's slave rebellion. i can't think of a more

appropriate place to learn about an old bible that survives from that bloody day. what did the bible look like? >> tattered. it's missing the cover, very small. it was obviously something that you could carry on you. >> and, according to person family lore, the centuries' old book belonged to the uprising's leader. >> we all kind of talked about it here on these grounds at the family reunion. i knew it was significant. we grow up here knowing the story of nat turner. >> after all, nat turner's story begins in southampton county before it reverberates across the country and through the ages till today. >> till then, we remain steadfast, ready to strike at the moment of the lord's call. we'll destroy them all. >> he probably had a genius iq, but it was encased within a body that was supposed to be nothing. >> bruce turner is a great-great-great grandson of

nat turner. he says nat, born in 1800, learns to read the bible and by his teens is preaching to his fellow slaves. >> he had a very loud, commanding, and fiery voice to where he could mesmerize them when he would stare at them with his eyes. ♪ >> it's around this time turner is baptized in a pond on the person family property. did he know your family? >> he knew the family. my great-great-grandfather, john person, owned the land. >> mark person is maurice's cousin. your family, they were slave owners. >> yeah. they did own slaves. but a lot of the neighbors didn't like john person 'cause he was too kind to the slaves sometimes. but he said, "hey, it's my land. everybody's welcome." and nat turner approached him and said, "i'd like to be baptized here." >> after the baptism, nat becomes inspired by the story of moses leading the israelites to

freedom and by the fiery visions in the book of revelations. >> and nat became, in his own words, a free man to god at that time. he felt that his purpose was to be a redeemer. and he felt that slavery was a moral wrong, and so, therefore, he was entitled to seek revenge for that. >> he slowly came to the idea that he was chosen by god to engage in a rebellion against slavery. the end of the world being near, he would kill everybody. >> historian kenneth greenberg tells me a series of visions and voices that turner thinks are from god only reinforce his beliefs. >> he sees blood on the corn. he sees christ's arms stretched out across the heavens. >> then, in 1831, turner's awed by a solar eclipse. >> nat saw that as an absolute sign that he was now being given directions from god to go ahead

and start putting the insurrection into motion. >> and he says that christ had laid down the yoke he had born for the sins of men, and now nat turner was gonna pick that yoke up. >> august 21, nat turner's moment arrives. >> he suddenly shows up at a farm and asks african-americans on that farm to join him in a rebellion. everybody knows how dangerous this is. you're certain to be killed. >> the slaves had become so enamored into nat and respectable of him that they felt that he would not lead them wrong. they felt that their liberty was just as dear to them as it was to him and that they were willing to give up their lives. >> it's a scene harrowingly depicted in the sundance-winning film, "the birth of a nation." around 2:00 a.m., turner leads his group, armed with axes, hatchets, and knives, to a nearby slaveholder. nat strikes the first blow.

>> then, his confederate finished him off with a blow over the head with his bigger ax. >> the mob moves from farm to farm, including the persons'. lost a lot of family members. >> yeah. there were families killed, some of my ancestors. and it's very tragic. >> but maurice persons' great-grandmother, lavinia francis, survives the raid. >> maurice's great-grandmother was home alone. she was pregnant at the time. and a slave next door, he had gotten word what was happening, and he ran next door and warned everybody. >> nat turner's on his way. >> he's on his way, and another slave, red nelson, gets word of it. they hide her in the cubbyhole and put blankets on her, and they saved her life. >> the slaves? >> the slaves did. >> so, if it wasn't for the kindheartedness of these wonderful people, who could have easily have given her up, we wouldn't be here to tell this story, for sure. >> all told, the rebel slaves kill at least 55 white men,

women, and children. nat turner himself eludes capture. most-wanted man in the area. >> most-wanted man probably in u.s. history at that time. everybody's out looking for him. >> and on the run, the preacher holds fast to the book whose words inspired his rampage, a bible that will become a relic of history and maurice person's strange inheritance. >> apparently, when they found nat turner, he had it on him. >> but first, our "strange inheritance" quiz question... which of the following hymns was used to signal an escape attempt by the underground railroad? the answer after the break.

[ door creaks ] ♪ >> so, which of these hymns did the underground railroad use to signal an escape attempt? if a slave heard this song, the underground railroad, the sweet chariot, was coming south, swinging low, to take him north to freedom. >> in 1831, nat turner leads the deadliest slave revolt in u.s. history, killing more than 50 whites in southampton county, virginia.

he eludes capture, as whites send their own violent message, killing an estimated 120 blacks. >> there were quite a number of slaves who were beheaded or gutted open and left on tree trunks as a warning to all slaves that they should not rebel. >> turner surrenders after two months on the run. >> it's clear he doesn't feel that he's guilty because he believes he's chosen by god. and the bible is the key to his certainty. >> so, turner's bible is an exhibit at his trial for conspiring to rebel and making insurrection. he's found guilty, and on november 11, 1831, he is hanged and decapitated. but his name lives on. does the rest of the country react, as well? >> yeah the white abolitionist leaders condemn nat turner. what they would say was that nat turner is a result of slavery.

"unless you end slavery, there will be more nat turners." >> the south learns a different lesson. >> the states all pass laws to prohibit slaves from gathering. the slaves could be summarily killed if they could read and write. by the time the civil war happened 30 years later, you were still having the effects of nat turner's actions. >> as one generation gives way to the next, the person family, nearly wiped out in the turner revolt, doesn't dwell on their role in history. >> how open do you think the family was about talking about what had happened to your family? >> there was a significant part of our past, and it was kind of like out of sight, out of mind. you just don't talk about those things. >> then, out of the blue, in 1912, the local courthouse contacts maurice's father, walter person. >> they were just cleaning out the vault there, and they had this bible. >> not just any bible.

they say it's the personal copy of nat turner, which had been locked away in the evidence room for the past eight decades. >> they knew that since walter person had ties to nat turner, they said, "here. would you like the bible that nat turner left behind?" >> walter person not only accepts, he displays the bible in the living room, on the family piano, for the next 30 years. some people would be shocked that the bible was given not to nat turner's family but to a white family who wasn't the only family that lost people. >> right. >> didn't you ever feel you should give it to the turner family? >> well, the times were very different. slavery's still a very sensitive issue. >> walter dies in 1945. that's when his son maurice inherits the old, tattered bible. unlike his dad, maurice moves it out of plain sight. >> it just sat in a closet in the dark, wrapped in a cotton

towel. >> was it because he was ashamed, or he felt it was a private matter? >> it wasn't the proper place and time to really talk about it. i just don't think he knew what to do with it. >> you'd ask him a question, and he might change the subject or just didn't elaborate. >> it takes decades more before the person family is ready to talk about it. >> it's still a very sensitive subject, but i think we're opening up now. >> so, you're able, even though you lost so many family members, to talk to me about it very openly. but how does that make you feel, telling this story? it's your story. >> no hard feelings against nat turner. i think it was real difficult time for the slaves, and he needed a way out. >> does maurice feel the same? >> i think he does. >> is he as forgiving? >> i think maurice is very forgiving. the fact that he held onto that bible so long, he knew the significance of it. >> and he's about to learn its value. >> i was told by a very reliable

source, who could have written a check. he said several millions of dollars. >> coming up... >> i must admit my first reaction was one of, "is this for real?" >> here's another quiz question for you... the gutenberg bible, printed in the 1450s, was the first mass-produced book in europe. what language was it printed in? the answer when we return.

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♪ >> so, what language was the gutenberg bible printed in? only 21 complete copies of the

gutenberg bible still exist today. each is valued at around $30 million. >> in 1831, ancestors of maurice person are slaughtered in nat turner's infamous slave rebellion. but maurice's great-grandmother survives. eighty years later, in 1912, virginia court workers discover a bible in the turner evidence file. they give it to maurice's father, who dies in 1945. the bible is maurice's strange inheritance and a valuable one, too. >> what do you think it's worth? mark person is maurice's cousin. >> i was told by a very reliable source, who could have written a check. he said several millions of dollars. >> we could have sold it, certainly. but it never crossed our mind. >> you've walked away from millions of dollars. >> i know, but i'm not gonna earn money off of slavery. that would be wrong, and i still see it that way.

>> and she says her stepfather, maurice, agrees. >> he said, "it belongs to history. it belongs to the world." >> so, maurice entrusts wendy and mark to find it an appropriate home. >> i wanted him to be able to not worry about it anymore. it was something that was always on his mind, about having this bible. >> but finding that new home is harder and more time-consuming than they ever imagine. they take the bible to a traveling appraisal show in 2009 to see if the experts can give them some guidance. >> i said, "this is the bible that was on nat turner when he was captured in southampton county." >> and they say? >> "okay. next?" >> that's it? >> that's pretty much it. they were very nice, but they didn't seem very interested. >> were you concerned people wouldn't believe you? >> it never crossed my mind, 'cause i have always heard, since i was a little child, this bible was on nat turner when he was captured. >> wendy doesn't give up. she e-mails the smithsonian in washington, d.c. surely, someone there will show

some interest...right? >> i got the standard, "should we be interested, we'll contact you." and i didn't hear anything. >> but unbeknownst to wendy, someone is interested at the smithsonian, and he's thinking maybe, just maybe, he's onto the discovery of a lifetime. >> it began to convince me that what i was looking at was something that could be authentic. >> putting the bible to the test, next. what's your "strange inheritance" story? we'd love to tell it. send me an e-mail or go to our website, strangeinheritance.com.

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♪ >> now back to "strange inheritance." >> it's 2011, and rex ellis, an associate director of the smithsonian institution, has just been given a tip. a virginia woman is claiming her stepdad inherited the bible that slave preacher nat turner carried on his bloody rebellion.

did you think to yourself there's any chance this really could be nat turner's bible? >> i must admit, my first reaction was one of, "is this a crank call?" >> but ellis wants to know more. so, he takes a trip to southampton county to see the bible for himself. he's surprised when wendy creekmore-porter hands him a dish towel, and underneath is a pocket-sized bible. pocket-sized -- did that mean something to you? >> well, to me, it meant that it was portable. to me, it even legitimized the fact that someone like nat turner could own it. >> that's because turner is rumored to have carried the bible with him at all times. >> it began to convince me that what i was looking at was something that could be authentic. >> wendy allows rex to take the bible back to washington, where a team of researchers will put it to the test.

step one -- evaluate the bible's age. they do so by tracking down one that was printed by the same publisher in the same city on the same date. how old was that bible? >> it was published in 1782. >> which fits turner's timeline perfectly, as he was born in 1800. next, they uncover this photograph of a bible authenticated as turner's in the university of virginia archives. they learn it was taken by an historian in 1900 and donated to the school. when the picture is enhanced, paper experts are able to match a page in the photo to a page in the bible itself via a pattern of stains and markings. that's a eureka moment. >> yes, ma'am. >> their conclusion? the bible really belonged to nat turner. how significant is this find for

you personally? >> i don't know of anything i was involved with that is as significant and as important as this bible. >> the smithsonian wants to make it a centerpiece of its african-american history and culture museum, being built in washington, d.c. >> i had always said since i was a little girl, "this bible belongs in the smithsonian." it's an amazing artifact. it all just made sense. and i was so honored to be able to help the bible live on. >> the family's donation is worth millions. and it pays off in vip treatment, when the museum opens its doors in september 2016. >> i had an invite, and i'm sitting there, and it's like 20,000 people. president obama comes on stage. then, george w. bush mentions nat turner. >> for centuries, slavery and segregation seemed permanent parts of our national life.

but not to nat turner or frederick douglass. >> a day i'll never forget. >> may god bless us all. >> since then, millions have come to the museum. add me to the list. i could understand that this could be one of the greatest discoveries you've made in your career. >> it is so important. this bible indicates the faith and the hope that one day african-americans would be free. >> and right below the display, forever tied to turner and his bible, the name maurice person. >> he's not able to travel, due to his health, but he's seen pictures. so, he knows. he's happy to have it there. what do you think of this bible being in the most famous museum in america? >> i guess it's all right, yeah. >> it's all right. it's pretty cool, huh? >> that bible is now where it belongs. it's very important for people to understand that some of the principles that he stood for -- equality, freedom -- those are

the same principles regardless of what your nationality or ethnicity is. >> we see this bible as an act of reconciliation from our family. that bible, it's very powerful. it's a healer. >> it's powerful stuff. >> very powerful. >> a month after the museum opening, the descendants of nat turner had another reckoning with the past. a skull, believed to be that of nat turner himself, was returned to the family. it seems that after turner was hanged and decapitated, his skull was given to local physicians. at the time, doctors and scientists studied craniums to prove theories about the racial superiority of whites. the turner descendants have handed the skull over to the smithsonian for dna testing. assuming it's proven to be their famous ancestor, the family says they will give the skull the proper burial it deserves.

i'm jamie colby. thanks for watching "strange inheritance." ♪ >> an automotive classic... >> oh, my. it really moves. >> well, it's pretty quick. >> what is it about the corvette that has captured america? >> you have lamborghinis, and you got ferraris, but the american sports car has always been the corvette. >> it's the dream that keeps a soldier going... >> do you think that helped him get through very difficult times at war? >> absolutely. >> ...the decision that vexes his heir... >> it was the most difficult thing i've ever done in my life. >> ...the ultimate for vette collectors... >> it was an urban legend that there was this impeccably original, pristinely kept 1967 corvette. >> we got three, four... >> ...and a mystery on wheels. >> something is fishy because that's not there.

[ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] >> i'm jamie colby on the outskirts of chicago on my way to meet a guy whose strange inheritance takes us back to a time when american cars rule the road, america herself leads the free world, and a working-class kid from the midwest just dreams of making it home. >> my name is matt litavsky. my father meant the world to me, and he left me a very special car that meant the world to him. he chose me to preserve it, but there came a time when i had to let it go. >> hi, matt. i'm jamie. >> hi, jamie. it's nice to meet you. >> i know i came here to see your inheritance, this magnificent car, but when we're done, you got to take me for a ride in this. >> all right. we'll see about that. >> i'm on my best behavior. >> okay. >> to appreciate the car,

says matt, you first need to know about his dad and why his 1967 corvette meant so much to him. keith litavsky is born in lisle, illinois, in 1944. world war ii is drawing to a close. the cold war is about to begin. america is leading the charge, and nowhere is the country's muscle bolder than on american roadways, which gm, ford and chrysler are pumping with some of the coolest cars on earth. >> now it wasn't all about just having a four-door family car like it had been in the past. >> auto analyst john kraman. >> the manufacturers jumped on board with a variety of high-performance cars, wild colors, the styling really affected by the aviation theme with the big fins and and the wild, futuristic styling. >> no wonder keith loves cars

from boyhood. long before he gets his license, he settles on his dream ride, the american beauty that first rolls off the assembly line in 1953 when he's 9 years old, the chevy corvette. >> the corvette just reset the bar totally with innovative styling and a fiberglass body, which at the time was unheard of. >> a decade later, in 1963, when keith is saving up for his first new car, chevy reintroduces the corvette with a new body style and renames it the stingray. keith wants one more than ever, but the vette's 4k list price is way out of reach, so he settles for a little less. >> the plymouth belvedere was his first car he bought new. has a 426 wedge in it, was what he could afford at the time. >> he doesn't have it long. >> in 1965, the war in vietnam

is heating up, and uncle sam calls keith's number. >> he gets drafted, and he sells the plymouth belvedere to his brother. >> soon, he's in the line of fire with no guarantee he'll return. >> he was in reconnaissance, so he went through a lot of difficult situations there. he made a lot of good friends and lost a lot of good friends. >> if keith does get back home, he's making sure a big reward awaits him. in each letter to his family, he encloses his combat pay with a specific goal in mind, a brand-new corvette. do you think that was a dream that he hung onto that helped him get through very difficult times at war? >> absolutely. a lot of guys would flip through the flyers from the car dealers and pick out a car, and i think, psychologically, it helped them get through to know that they'll have that car there, so it was something to look forward to. >> here is a "strange inheritance" quiz question...

the answer after the break. as a struggling actor, i need all the breaks that i can get. at liberty butchemel... cut. liberty mu... line? cut. liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need. cut. liberty m... am i allowed to riff? what if i come out of the water? liberty biberty... cut. we'll dub it. liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪

♪

>> vietnam, april, 1966, keith litavsky is praying he'll making it home to illinois and the dream car he's saving for, a chevy corvette. one day, as keith's unit is searching for the enemy, shots ring out in the jungle. a firefight erupts, bodies dropping everywhere. >> he carried his wounded commanding officer out. >> literally carried? >> literally carried him out of this firefight. >> corporal litavsky makes it home in the winter of 1967. >> still had shrapnel in his leg... >> amazing. >> ...but came home with two purple hearts and a lot of interesting stories. >> and that car of his dreams is waiting for him -- this '67 chevrolet corvette,

fresh off the assembly line. >> we actually had ordered the car while he was in vietnam, then came home and picked up the car. >> marina blue finish, bright blue interior, sweet, plus red pinstripe tires and a black stinger, poetry on wheels. keith even keeps the sales sticker from the dealer. how much did it cost? >> it was around $5,500. >> so he had to save for a while. >> mm-hmm. it's a lot of money back then. >> what the heck? he's 23, just out of the army, single, handsome, buff. this ride perfectly fits his life but just for a fleeting moment. keith enrolls in college on the g.i. bill and marries crystal kierien. she's divorced with five kids. life had thrown crystal a curveball and keith was right there to catch it. >> young guy, marries a woman with five

children. >> yeah... >> five of you. >> five of us >> how old were you when they got married? >> i think i was about five. >> what kind of a father was he? >> if i could be half the man he was i'd be a success. he was the best. >> and so were his wheels. >> one of my first memories takes place in the corvette. me and my two brothers climbed in the back, and he gave us a ride. >> meanwhile, chevy is working up big changes for the corvette, changes that will have profound consequences for this "strange inheritance" story. in 1968, the stingray body style takes on a kind of pre-'70s vibe. some folks love the new vettes. some hate them. either way, those earlier corvettes quickly become collectibles, and the '67, the last of the old body styles, would become the ultimate. >> those cars are regarded today as some of the most desirable

and valuable corvettes of all time. >> keith litavsky saw it coming. >> he knew he had a car that might be worth some money some day and decided to not drive it as much. every time he drove it, he would write stuff down and log it in a logbook. >> like what? >> well, if he started it up, he'd say, "july 5th, 80 degrees outside, started the car, revved it up to 3,500 rpms three times and shut it down," or "changed oil." >> according to keith's log, the odometer shows just 2,600 miles when he marries. he won't put very many miles on it after that. even if he wanted to, he won't get the chance. when he's just 30 years old, he's diagnosed with testicular cancer. >> he was sick, in and out of the hospital a lot. >> the disease makes a long, slow march through his body. in 1992, at age 48, keith's prognosis becomes dire. matt, now 28 and living on his own, moves back to his childhood home

in suburban chicago to help his mom take care of his dad. >> you could just see that, from such a strong guy, that the cancer was just eating him alive, literally. >> on nights when keith is in too much pain to sleep, matt stays up with him, and they talk all night. >> he kind of opened up a lot about his time in vietnam, and it was difficult for him. >> and he entrusts matt to drive his prized car for the first time. >> he knew the car had to be driven. he could no longer shift the car, so it just about killed him to say, "go ahead." >> keith knows the car he dreamed of in the vietnam jungle, bought for $5,000 in combat pay and meticulously maintained ever since is now worth a lot more than that, six figures, easy, so as death nears, he must decide what to do with it.

>> he was nervous that my brother might sell the car. he wanted to keep the car around as long as he could. >> when keith finally succumbs to cancer in 1993 at age 49, he leaves the corvette to matt alone. >> i think that was kind of his way of saying thank you. >> but matt senses the rest of his family feels left on the side of the road. >> it left a little animosity with my brothers and sisters because my dad loved all of us the same, but because i inherited the car, there was always some tension there. >> that tension worries him. one day, he'll have to pass on this strange inheritance. what'll he do when he hits that fork in the road? we're really going to go for a ride? >> we're going for a ride. >> i'm ready. >> here is another quiz question for you...

the answer when we return. some people say "dress your age."

that's ridiculous. age is just an illusion. how you show up for the world, that's what's real. what's your idea? i put it out there with a godaddy website.

♪ >> it's arctic white, which made up 18% of new vettes sold, but if you guessed red, you're close. if you combine torch red and long beach red, the two shades add up to 20%. >> this 1967 corvette is the gift that vietnam soldier keith litavsky gives to himself for returning home alive. he buys it with his combat pay, maintains it meticulously, and drives it a mere 8,500 miles until his death in 1993.

>> he added a lot to the documentation of the car and the validity of it. for me, it was more sentimental just going through it and seeing in dad's handwriting how cool it was and how special. >> absolutely. his son matt knows he's inherited much more than a 26-year-old sports car but isn't sure what to do with it. >> it was years of prayers and, you know, saying, "hey, god, what do you want me to do with this car?" >> so he just maintains the classic even more fastidiously than his father had. >> the car has never been to a car show, you know. my neighbors didn't even know i had the car. >> oh, my. why would they? in the 2-plus decades after his dad dies, matt marries, starts his own family but racks up just 30 more miles on the corvette. he takes it out rarely for a quick drive around the block just to keep all the parts working. ah, sounds good, matt.

>> oh. >> ah, that smell, too. >> i just love that. >> it's a beautiful thing. >> smells like america. >> i love the way it looks. it looks like the day it came out of the showroom. >> i've done my best. >> but while matt's neighbors don't know about his strange inheritance, rumors abound in corvette world. >> i think you're right about that. >> it was sort of an urban legend for a long time, that there was this impeccably original, pristinely kept 1967 corvette. corvette enthusiasts, in particular, go crazy over mint-condition, unrestored, original cars. >> really big-money enthusiasts like former racecar owner gary runyon and his wife, jackie, of carmel, indiana. so what is it about the corvette that you think has captured america? >> you know, you have lamborghinis, and you got ferraris and all types of european cars, but the american sports car has always been noted as the corvette.

>> like the runyons' super-rare 1957 airbox, only 43 of them were made, and their serial number 001, the first off the assembly line in 1965. couple are always ready to add to their collection. what is your criteria? >> a real, unrestored, original engine, transmission, original interior and a story behind it. >> well, there's certainly a great story behind matt's corvette unless everything he thought he knew about his strange inheritance is wrong. >> original, unrestored '67 corvettes, there's a little, tiny dot. >> i don't see it. >> and something is fishy because that's not there. >> what's your "strange inheritance" story? we'd love to tell it. send me an e-mail or go to our website, strangeinheritance.com.

>> now, back to

"strange inheritance." >> in 1993, vietnam veteran keith litavsky dies and leaves his son, matt, his '67 corvette stingray. off we go. since then, it's hardly left matt's garage except for short drives to keep it running right. what's this? >> that's a st. christopher medal for the patron saint of travelers. >> yeah. >> so he kept it in here because he felt like it would keep the car safe. >> oh, really? >> and, yeah, so i thought it should stay with the car. >> it's wonderful. but by 2016, matt is in his 50s and wondering about what would happen to the corvette if something were to happen to him. he knows a pristine, unrestored '67 is worth a fortune and recalls the tension among his siblings after his father left the car solely to him. >> i have two boys and a daughter, and splitting a car three ways is not easy.

>> mm. >> splitting money three ways is a lot easier. >> after a lot of soul-searching, matt decides it's time to sell. >> so it was a decision that, honestly, i prayed for, for years. >> matt brings the corvette and his father's story to mecum auctions in wisconsin. remember john kraman? he's their director of consignments, and they discover a big problem. >> part of the build process of the very unique fiberglass body of the corvette has a little mold dot that's just part of the normal manufacturing process. you know, imagine our surprise that that little hood-channel dot is missing. >> it's about the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. >> david burroughs, mecum's automobile authentication expert, pinpoints the problem for me. >> so if you count in 13 of these ribs, it would be right about in the center of this little gutter. >> but it's missing.

>> so restored cars, that gets all sanded off to make it look pretty and shiny, and then that little fingerprint gets obliterated, and so that implies that this car has been either restored, or at least something is fishy. >> i knew what i had, and i knew everything i had was genuine and real. >> that one little dot could be the difference between someone believing you and not believing you. and a difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction, but how do you prove what was or wasn't done to a 50-year-old car? the mecum team scrambles. they track down other '67 corvettes manufactured around the same time. >> we were able to collect photos of unrestored cars in this vin range and the serial numbers where this car fits in that vin range. >> all '67s? >> oh, yes, and none of them had the dot. >> dot mystery solved. >> it's a home run in the world series.

>> may 20, 2017, the '67 corvette, along with all of its documentation, hits the auction block 50 years after it was sold to corporal keith richard litavsky, who gave himself a present for returning home from battle alive... >> the 1967 corvette is making its way into the building with matt litavsky behind the wheel. >> ...and with a heartfelt tribute in honor of matt's father. [ "taps" playing ] >> they just really paid a great tribute to my dad and the car. >> and here we go. start the bid! >> befitting a classic american sports car, would-be buyers maneuver fast and furiously to own the corvette with the classic american story. the bidding starts at 100k. >> three, four,

$ 300,000, on the bid... >> it's off to the races. >> five, now $500,000, anybody? >> it blows through the half-mil mark in seconds. >> got 75, 25, go 25! >> and then... >> sold, $675,000! >> you may recognize that gentleman there in the checked shirt. that is gary runyon with his wife, jackie. >> that same husband-and-wife team, the rare-car collectors we met earlier in indiana. >> it was totally unrestored, absolutely gorgeous. i gave a thumbs up and a head nod, and gary said, "you just purchased that car." >> i see tears of joy. it appears that this story is going to have a happy ending. >> it will. yes. >> matt was a great caretaker for his dad's vehicle, and to be frank with you, i believe that's exactly what jackie and i are. >> again, god answered my prayer. i didn't pray for money.

i prayed for it to go to a good home. >> of course, that $675,000 will go a long way, but the values inherited from his dad will go even farther. what are you thinking? >> i was just thinking about how he... i think he instilled in all my brothers and sisters a lot of perseverance and just getting through anything. didn't matter what it was, you'll get through it >> what did he teach you about america? >> you know what? it's the land of the free, home of the brave, and there's no bs there. >> even though the corvette has been around now for more than 60 years, it's nowhere near retirement. in fact, it's become a verb. corvette lovers like to say they're "vetting," an apropos phrase for matt's father, the vet who loved his vette. i'm jamie colby. thanks so much for watching

"strange inheritance." and remember -- you can't take it with you. ♪ >> a warehouse stacked high with high fashion. >> she never, ever let on that i was going to inherit this collection. i had no idea. >> a clothesline to presidents, royalty, and thetitanic? >> what's it worth? >> $20,000. >> that's a lot of money for a >> that's a lot of money. >> and a lot of stress. >> my husband actually said to me -- oops! -- "it's either me or the collection." ♪ >> if she says yes to the dresses... >> definitely good for blondes. >> ...will her dream ever get off the runway? >> i got a phone call saying, "charlotte, they're going to take your collection." >> oh, no. i was panicking. [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ]