THE HOOD SCOOP: 1954 Corvette is a rare survivor with a rich family history

‘I hear my dad's voice every time I get in…and I thank him every time it starts’

Randy Seidle’s 1954 Corvette. Photo by Jenna Lookner.

By Jenna Lookner

BLUE HILL—Randy Seidle’s 1954 Chevy Corvette is a jaw-dropping sight around Blue Hill, a head-turner that rivals his rare 1955 Chevy Cameo pickup, both formerly his father’s. 

Seidle grew around automobiles and the passion for cars is practically his birthright. Descended from a paternal line that made their living in the automobile world, Seidle was immersed in the industry from his childhood in Pennsylvania. 

“My great grandfather started selling cars in 1932 out of his blacksmith shop,” Seidle said. The family eventually moved to Clarion, Pennsylvania in 1957 when Seidle was just two years old. The impetus for the move? The purchase of the Spindler and Stern car dealership. 

Seidle said his father took over the business and began expanding, eventually selling many marques including GMC, AMC, Jeep, Cadillac, and more. 

One of the popular vehicles his father’s dealership sold was the Jeep Wagoneer, and a wealthy oil man had taken an interest in one on the lot. Seidle said his father worked out a deal with the tycoon: He would trade the Jeep toward the pristine 1954 Chevrolet Corvette that the man had purchased for his daughter, who had decided against it. A deal was reached and the younger Seidle accompanied his father to make the transaction. He recalled stepping inside a carpeted garage that housed the Corvette, as well as a 1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing that Seidle said was also a no-go for the man’s daughter. 

“He had plenty of money but he was one hell of a nice guy,” Seidle recalled. He added that his father had agreed to pay a sum on top of the Jeep for a fair trade.

Randy Seidle of Blue Hill can remember the day his father acquired this 1954 Corvette. Photo by Jenna Lookner.

Seidle’s Corvette is a remarkable survivor. It sports its original red and white interior and was repainted in 1974 utilizing correct GM lacquer that looks like it was finished yesterday. Even the rubber floor mats on the footwells are original to the car. 

“It was his pride and joy,” Seidle said of his father’s fondness for the car. 

When his father purchased the car he was in his late 50s and facing health struggles. 

“He bought it with 3,000 miles on it and barely drove it,” Seidle said. After working at the dealership and as a farmer for a time, Seidle moved to Maine with his wife Kathy Obert in 2009. A few years later the Cameo joined him, and finally, in 2023 Seidle and the Cameo were reunited with the Corvette after he trailered it to his shop in Maine. 

At 92, Randy’s mother, Doris Seidle, still holds the title to both vehicles. Though he is one of six siblings, Seidle said he was always the one interested in cars. 

The vehicle sat in his parents’ garage under a cover for decades alongside the 1955 Cameo — which is similarly impressive and wears a near-identical paint scheme. The pair makes a stunning visual in Seidle’s Blue Hill dooryard, where he ran a bustling business as Shoreline Auto Detailing. He now takes on just one client a day. 

“I have such a client base,” he said. “I still do one car a day. I’ve got to have something to do!” 

Seidle said his father would occasionally display the Corvette and Cameo at his dealerships, but it was not intended to be in long-term storage. He said he has performed the deferred mechanical maintenance including replacing dry-rotted fittings, and the only modification he has made is swapping the wheels and tires. He does all the mechanical work on his vehicles himself, he said. 

And the odometer reading on the Corvette? A mere 12,475 original miles.

Part of that low mileage stems from his father’s work ethic. While his father loved beautiful cars, 

“he really didn’t have time to enjoy them,” Seidle said. But his presence remains in the Corvette.

“I loved my dad. He was a rock solid guy,” Seidle said. “I hear my dad's voice every time I get in [the Corvette] and I thank him every time it starts.” 

Seidle looked across his driveway to where the Corvette sat in the autumn sunshine, its red interior and cream body cutting a magnificent line against the early fall foliage. 

“I think Dad would be really happy with how it sits now,” he said. 

–Jenna Lookner is automobile enthusiast, collector and historian with an automobile museum and auction background. She tells the stories of special automobiles in the area on a regular basis through her column “The Hood Scoop.” If you have a special car you’d like to see profiled, drop her a line at jlookner@risingtide.media.