George Talley owned his 1979 Chevrolet Corvette for a mere two years before it was stolen forever. Or so he thought. Then, 35 years later and seemingly out of nowhere, the Detroit, Michigan resident received a phone call that would change his life. His long-lost Corvette had been found in Mississippi.

A life-long GM enthusiast, Talley was keen to share his story with the automaker and soon wrote a letter to GM’s product chief, Mark Reuss, detailing the theft and eventual recovery of his beloved C3 Corvette. Reuss responded right away and explained to Talley how it would be a privilege if GM could take his newly-found Corvette and restore it for him as a small thank you for his passion for The General, Chevrolet, and Corvette over the years.

“I think you’ve got to give back,” says Reuss. “He’s been a customer of GM forever, he’s a veteran and those things are what make the country great. We owe a lot to these people and we ‘gotta give back.”

The restoration team replaced a lot of the rusty metal components on the car and resprayed the exterior in a stunning shade of metallic silver. Talley couldn’t be happier. “That was just amazing. I looked at it and it’s brand new. To have a brand new ‘79 car, it’s phenomenal. It’s hard to describe, but I’m happy.”

After 34 years apart, Talley and his his now-restored Corvette are finally reunited once again. Congrats’ George!