The Burying of a Classic?

"Suddenly It's 2007"

On June 15, 1957, a brand-new Plymouth Belvedere V-8 Sport Coupe with Sportone was slowly lowered into a time capsule on the southeast corner of the Tulsa County Courthouse lawn.  The car was to remain underground for 50 years, when the person (or his heirs) whose guess was closest to the exact population of Tulsa in 2007 will win the car.  

The Plymouth was selected for this honor, according to a committee chairman Lewis Roberts Jr,  because it was “an advanced product of American industrial ingenuity with the kind of lasting appeal that will still be in style 50 years from now.”  

"Suddenly It's 1960" was the tag line being touted in factory advertising for the 1957 Belvedere line.    So, sprang the 1957 event "Suddenly It's 2007", held during Tulsa's Golden Jubilee Week, know then as "TuIsarama!"  The "Tulsarama!" committee decided on the event after looking for a method of acquainting the citizens of the twenty first century with a suitable representation of 1957 civilization. 

As part of the "Tulsarama!" festivities, citizens of Tulsa were asked to guess what the population of Tulsa would be in the year 2007. The guesses were then recorded on microfilm and sealed in a steel container buried with the car. When the car and artifacts are excavated, the person whose guess is closest to Tulsa's 2007 population is to be awarded the Belvedere. If that person is dead, the car is to be awarded to his or her heirs. Today, reminders of the event are only noted by bronze plaque on the courthouse lawn. [more]

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