Carmel man pays $675,000 for a 1967 Corvette at Indy auction

John Tuohy
IndyStar
A marina blue 1967 Chevrolet Corvette that will be auctioned off Saturday at the 30th annual Mecum Auctions, Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, seen on Friday, May 19, 2017. The Corvette belonged to late Vietnam war hero Richard Litavsky, who kept the vehicle in impeccable shape and largely out of public view, making it the closest you'll come to a "vault find" at this year's auction.

A marina blue 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe bought by a Vietnam War hero and maintained by his son sold for $675,000 at an Indianapolis auction Saturday.

The unrestored sports car, with 8,553 miles on it, was bought by Carmel resident Gary Runyon at  Dana Mecum’s 30th  Spring Classic at the State Fairgrounds.

"It was very exciting but also very, very difficult," to part with the car, said its owner, Matt Litavsky. "It was all kind of a haze."

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Litavsky's father, Keith Richard Litavsky, bought the car after returning from the Vietnam War with two Purple Hearts in the 1960s. He cared for it meticulously and seldom drove it before dying of cancer in 1993 from exposure to Agent Orange.  Matt Litavsky kept up the same level of care, driving it a total of 15 miles over the past 15 years.

Litavsky said it was a difficult decision to sell the car, but it was time. "It's been a very long year," making the decision, he said.

Runyon, a dealer of rare cars, told Litavsky he would not be selling the blue 'vette and that Litavsky could come visit it anytime.

"That's good to know that it's there if I need to see it," Litavsky said.

Call IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at (317) 444-6418. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.