The Smiley Smile Message Board

Worried about buying a fake piece of Beach Boys memorabilia? How about Brian’s 1990 Corvette? $45k

https://youtu.be/pMPd6Vd4iQw

https://www.volocars.com/vehicles/15178/1990-chevrolet-corvette

Cool! Didn't realize that he's a Corvette guy. Beautiful car indeed. Would be interesting to see what the guys drove and what they're driving now.

It’s weird that his name is on the door with the Beach Boys name beneath it, seemingly placed there at the height of his fractured relationship with the band.

Is that his "Still cruisin'" car?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RbMTDLFOjA

Could well have been.

Incidentally, I browsed a few of the valuation sites. That year, model and mileage comes up about $21k max, so you are spending double for the Brian Wilson link.

Personally I don’t like the style and would prefer this one.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/615585842792579803/

Yes, Brian has owned multiple Corvettes through the years. Remember this photo of his 1966 Corvette painted in Chevy's "Sunfire Yellow" color:

(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/49/da/be/49dabed94814ab6993ee362c94f54290.jpg)

The value on this one is obviously in the provenance and the celebrity connection, not to mention having the original title signed by Brian. It was a hot car at that time, as described in the listing, but I prefer the 50's and 60's designs myself.

Why did Brian get "Beach Boys" embossed on the car? He's proud of his band, obviously, no matter what shenanigans were going on at any given time.  :)

If I'm correct and it's the "Still cruisin'"-car then the Beach Boys' name was added, because - iirc - each of the Boys got one individual car from the Chevrolet company. I remember reading about that years ago (maybe on this messageboard)....

If that's the case, and I'm definitely not ruling it out, the title was signed over to Brian October 28, 1992 - A good three years after the "Still Cruisin" promotions. And the car by the time Brian took ownership had 6,000 miles on it, which isn't uncommon for high performance cars.

If this was the car "given" or gifted to Brian along with the other BB's, the title would read 1989 or 1990 at the signature. The registration was issued November 1989, Brian didn't own it until he signed the title three years later. Maybe Chevy loaned the cars to them?

Anyway, the dates don't line up when the title shows Brian taking ownership in 1992 unless someone else held the title until he bought it...if this is the Still Cruisin promo car.

A couple of stories online (People and LA times) from 1991 make brief mention of Brian driving his Yellow Corvette. Sure, he’s rich enough to own as many as he wanted but just saying.

100% certain this isn't the "Still Cruisin'" car - this is a 1990 ZR-1 model with a very distinctive rear bumper (and only available as a coupe) while the "Still Cruisin'" car is a 1988/1989 convertible.

Brian's yellow convertible Corvette can be seen in this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAeXSYOrXhE

At 0:09, someone (Landy I believe) says "I just ordered the ZR-1"...

It appears that the date on the title coincides with the general time frame when Landy had his last contact with Brian after the restraining order was filed. Possibly the car was titled  over to Brian as he was finally regaining his personal property.

That was my exact thought. Also, the address for BW is an office tower.

Wonder who the 66/67 Mustang convertible behind the 'vette belongs to?

I will put in a bid for $5. That's all I can afford. :p

Gnarly.

Might this mean that Landy or his goons were driving around in a Brian-owned Vette for a few years to pick up ladies, and then they grudgingly had to give it back via court order? Gross.

If so, I'll bet this Vette has traces of Landy or Surf Nazi DNA in it. If this car could tell stories...

From what I was told, Landy negotiated that he and Brian would both get a corvette for whatever endorsement (I can't remember).  It was a later model than the one pictured, so I think they are different corvettes. I saw Brian's later one, as a friend bought it. What happened to Landy's? - I have no idea.

That's oddly fascinating that Landy was so conniving in the Corvette department. I guess whatever he could squeeze out of people, he'd do.

But unless Brian owned a 1997 or newer Corvette, I don't think the Corvette you are recalling could have been a later body style than the 1990 Brian Corvete for sale at the link above.

Here's Brian's 1990 Vette:

(http://i64.tinypic.com/2mq6o83.jpg)

That same Corvette body style lasted until 1996, which was long after Landy was 86ed; here's a pic of a 1996 Vette, which is nearly identical to Brian's 1990 one:

(http://i63.tinypic.com/2cz7tpk.jpg)

It wasn't until 1997 that the Vette looked visually different:

(http://i68.tinypic.com/2j6a4w2.jpg)

I love the idea of Brian owning/driving a Corvette, which might have been Brian's own way of paying tribute to Denny, whose '63 Corvette graced the cover of Shut Down Vol. II.

Brian owned other Corvettes after 1992. If I am mistaken, please correct, but I think the one Debbie is referring to was white in color. :)

As far as I know, he owned a white convertible C5 for a while. But since it was released in 1998, I don't see how Landy could be linked to Brian's ownership of a C5.

He owned Vettes after Landy.

Sorry, I was thrown off by the photo posted in this thread with an earlier car and an earlier Brian. I should probably just shut up since I don't have the time to read completely through threads.  I'm a bit overwhelmed these days from home demands, so thanks for correcting me.

That's exactly correct, Craig.