Inside this building, located in Mandan North Dakota, is the personal Corvette Collection owned (and operated) by Dave Ressler and his family. There are over 25 Corvettes in this museum.
Unfortunately it is not open to the public at this time, but may be in the future.
Dave has purchased most of his Corvettes either new, with MSO or at Classic Car Auctions, such as the Barrett Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizona.
As a Chevrolet dealer in Bozeman, Montana and Mandan, North Dakota, Dave has always had a passion for Corvettes. It has always been a childhood dream of Dave's to own the oldest Corvette (in Corvette history), and in 2006 at Barrett Jackson, Dave's dream came true.
Soon you will be able to view the oldest production line Corvette in Chevrolet's history as well as some of the other fine Corvettes in the Ressler Collection.
The man behind this impressive Corvette collection has always had a passion
for cars. Dave Ressler's interest in cars began when he was a teenager. His
legacy started with buying fixer-uppers, repairing and cleaning them up for
resale and eventually owning his own dealerships in North Dakota and
Montana. He grew up in Mandan, North Dakota, where his father had been a car
salesman for 25 years at Chase Chevrolet. After his father's unexpected
death, Dave was offered a sales position at the same firm. Cars were
obviously in the Ressler blood. Chase Chevrolet was sold to Ivan Gandrud in
1979 and Dave became manager at the age of 25. Ressler was able to buy the
Mandan dealership from Gandrud in 1987. Later in 1999, he expanded to
Bozeman, Montana, and moved his family there. His success stems from his
exacting determination and dedication to his work. He has always been driven
to achieve perfection in any project in which he becomes involved, whether
it is work, sports, home and family, or charity. There's a big heart behind
the tough business facade; Dave and his family have been very generous to
those in need, including community projects and foundations.
The first collector Dave acquired was a 1978 Corvette Indy Pace Car which
currently has 78 miles on its odometer. He began traveling to auctions and
rallies with his wife, Gerri and their daughters, Kandace and Natalie to add
to the collection. There are currently over 25 Corvettes in this collection.
Every car is in perfect condition with an interesting history. In 2006 at
the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, Dave was able to achieve
the ultimate addition to their collection by acquiring the "million dollar
Corvette," a 1953 Blue Flame, the oldest existing Corvette, third off the
assembly line. This was an unplanned purchase as Ressler expected the 'Vette
to go for much more. When he realized the car was within their reach, he ran
out onto the stage and got into the bidding. It didn't take long for him to
buy the most expensive car in his career.
In addition to the oldest Corvette in existence, this collection includes
all five of the official Indianapolis Pace Cars, with the majority having
less than ten miles on their odometers. Another special Corvette is the 1996
Grand Sport convertible with VIN # 0004. This particular vehicle was a General Motors car used in publicity photos and displayed around the
country. It was known as the "brochure" car. Dave bought it at a GM auto
auction. Also included is the "one-of-one" Torch Red (code #70) 2005 C-6
Coupe. This was the first direct sale from the National Corvette Museum.
Additionally, this collection includes the Corvette anniversary models in
their entirety: 25th, 35th, 40th and 50th. For more information on these
outstanding corvettes and many more, check out the entire inventory on the
"collection" page of this site.
Since the Corvette's debut in 1953, it is the goal of the Ressler family to
acquire the best exemplary car for each year . The cars in this collection
are of pristine condition with the lowest possible mileage. It is their
intent to eventually open a museum in Bozeman, Montana, to display the
collection for the enjoyment of Corvette enthusiasts everywhere. If you have
one of the missing factory original Corvettes in immaculate condition and
with low mileage, contact Natalie Ressler on the "contact us" page. This is
destined to be one hell of a collection!
