Miss Belvedere

Origin
No guarantee exists that future generations will be interested in local history. One wacky idea the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma concocted was to raffle off a completely new 1957 Plymouth Belvedere – in 50 years. The decided winner was whoever guessed closest to the number of citizens at the time. To keep the prize safe, it was entombed in a concrete bunker and buried right next to the courthouse. To enhance the time capsule schtick even further, it was buried with a glovebox of everyday items and a galloon drum of other state delicacies.

Everybody in the country was clamoring around the grand reveal when 2007 rolled along, expecting a pristine vehicle. Instead, they lifted out a rusty carcass that spent half a century drowning in groundwater. All of the mechanics and interior were filled with sludge, but articles like leaded gasoline and 48-star flag in the airtight drum survived intact.

Miss Belvedere was inherited by the deceased winner’s sisters and later restored enough to make the outline visible again, but still inoperable. Most large museums laughed at the offer of storing the scrapheap until one automobile museum agreed. Luckily, Tulsa happens to have another Plymouth waiting to be unearthed. That one is set for 2048, and this time the vault was built above ground.

Effects
Its proximity towards manufactured and commercial objects will transform their appearances into American versions produced in the 1950s to early 60s. Many times, the new look interferes with the actual design, causing objects to break down almost immediately. The surrounding area will also fill up with rust particles, indicating the missus is accelerating deterioration caused by time. Structural rust, fractures, melting and rot will occur and begin to compromise many structures.