Stolen Corvette found after 37 years

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

http://www.couriermail.news.com.au/common/...55E1702,00.html

 

From correspondents in Los Angeles

17jan06

 

A CORVETTE sports car stolen when it was brand new in New York 37 years ago had been recovered in California and would be returned to its rightful owner, authorities said.

 

The 1968 car, which vanished from Alan Poster's garage in the borough of Queens on January 22, 1969, was identified as stolen as it was being loaded on a container ship for Sweden last November, US Department of Homeland Security spokesman Mike Fleming said.

 

The car had recently been purchased for $US10,000 ($13,300) by a man in Sweden who was unaware it had been stolen nearly four decades earlier, Mr Fleming said. Since Mr Poster's insurance at the time did not cover the Corvette's theft and he was never compensated, he was entitled to get it back.

 

"When the California Highway Patrol contacted him, he said it's a miracle. He's very excited about it. He's flying in tomorrow," Mr Fleming said. He said Mr Poster had since moved to California and long ago gave up hope of seeing the car again.

 

The Corvette, which was originally painted blue with a matching interior, is now silver with a red interior. It is missing the gas tank, has a new engine and transmission and no longer ran, Mr Fleming said.

 

California Highway Patrol officer Joe Zizi said investigators had determined the Swedish man purchased the car from a man in Texas, who in turn bought it from someone in New Mexico.

 

None of them was involved in the theft or was aware it had been stolen, Mr Zizi said.

 

He said that after the Corvette was found to be a stolen car, detectives in New York were contacted and spent a month sifting through about 10,000 archived stolen car reports to find the original owner.

[polopony]

good story ,gives me hope that maybe they'll find my 1966 Chevelle Super Sport , nassau blue ,black vinyl top and the SS 396 engine 4 speed trans posi rear package stolen in 1974

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

Yeah. I looking forward to seeing my XR500 (road/trail bike) again one of these days. Only 30 more years to wait.

[lfcrule1972]

Hopefully me and my stolen Skyline GT-R V Spec will shortly be reunited too then !!

 

Edited January 17, 2006 by lfcrule1972

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

Hopefully me and my stolen Skyline GT-R V Spec will shortly be reunited too then !!

 

 

Cars you've won in Gran Turismo don't count.

[lfcrule1972]

Ssshhhhh ! I think the insurance company haven't realised that yet !!

[kirk1701™]

This story was just on my local news. Mainly because GM has a factory here in Bowling Green where all the corvettes are assembled.

[bill7621]

I wonder what the odds were?

[Grain]

Girlfriends Jeep was recovered 4 months ago, 14 months after being stolen. Was found sitting in an airport parking lot, all her shite still in it, most importantly my lawnmower bag was still there .

[lfcrule1972]

With all the clippings ? I bet that smelled sweet.....