WTF is with this carfax?

my 96 GT was totaled when i was rear-ended a few weeks ago now i am looking for a new stang. well a friend of my dad is selling his 96 cobra, so i went and took a look. it drove nice, and seemed to be in great shape overall with only 57,XXX miles. it was a respray with a little overspray, but it was a good coat of paint.

well i just ran a carfax, and it seems very strange:


09/27/1995 NICB
Vehicle manufactured and shipped to original dealer


01/27/1997 Maryland Police Report,Gaithersburg, MD
Accident reported Involving left front impact with another motor vehicle


02/15/1997 Maryland Motor Vehicle Dept., Columbia, MD
First owner reported
Registered as corporate fleet vehicle


05/17/1999 Maryland Motor Vehicle Dept., Rockville, MD
31,512 miles
Title #28559723
Title or registration issued
Loan or lien reported




So the car was in an accident before it was ever purchased, then purchased 18 days later. i figure it couldn't have been a serious accident if it was purchased 18 days later (and i didn't see any obvious frame damage). but then i realized that the accident and purchase didn't occur until 16 months after the car was manufactured. so the car sat on the lot for 16 months? doesn't that seem odd for a cobra to sit for 16 months? and no miles were reported until 1999?

i love the car, but this has me a bit worried. does anyone have any ideas? i could explain away the accident (lot porter or test-driver fender bender), but the 16 months on the lot seems strange to me. maybe a clerical error by carfax? what do i do?!

thanks for the help!

i know some cars sit, but i worked at a dealership and not much sits for 16 months. i don't think it's common for a cobra to sit for that long, but maybe i am reading too much into it.

then again, i had a 99 GT that had a clean carfax that i am sure was hit hard in the front. ahh!! i hate carfax!