GM Reunites Corvette Owner with Car Stolen 33 Years Ago

While that's well and dandy, getting the car from where it was found – Hattiesburg, MS – to Detroit was a challenge for the retiree. That's when General Motors Executive Vice President Mark Reuss stepped in after hearing the story on a local news station, and offered to have the car shipped back to Detroit so Talley could be reunited with it. And today, that's exactly what happened.

Autoblog was on hand for the presentation at General Motors' Renaissance Center headquarters in downtown Detroit this morning and spoke with Talley and Chevrolet spokesman Mike Albano.

Talley owned his Corvette for two years before it was stolen from Detroit's Jefferson Avenue, just down the road from GM's current headquarters. It was returned running, and with just 47,000 miles on the clock.

"I'm excited and thankful and grateful and excited," an understandably emotional Talley told Autoblog. The 1979 Vette, which GM returned in the condition it was found in at Talley's request, will be heading off for a restoration. While GM footed the bill to get the car to Detroit, it won't be covering the restoration – we're told that an unnamed third-party will be handling that. While Talley estimates that process will take "a month or so," he already knows where he's going once the car is ready for the road.

"I think I'm going to cruise Belle Isle," Talley said.

"Corvettes are really special cars, they have a special place in their owner's hearts," Mike Albano told Autoblog. "There's something serendipitous about this whole thing, the fact that yesterday was the birthday of Corvette and right now, just a day later, we're kind of giving George a gift back."

"George's story brought a smile to my face," GM's Mark Reuss said in a statement. "As a longtime Corvette owner myself, I know the passion the car inspires. I also knew that car belonged home in Detroit, with its rightful owner, and we could make that happen."

We've got a short video of Talley and his car at today's unveiling, as well as photos from the event. The former is available below with an official press release from GM, while the latter can be seen up top.