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AP
In this image provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. the stolen car sits on small transport trailer as it is delivered to Robert Russell 's home in Texas.
A man whose prized sports car was stolen 42 years ago recovered the vehicle after spotting it on eBay, authorities said Sunday.
Robert Russell, 66, a retired sales manager, told the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department that he had never given up searching for the 1967 Austin Healey after it was stolen from his Philadelphia home in 1970.
Russell recently spotted what he thought was his car listed on eBay by the Beverly Hills Car Club. He checked the vehicle identification number on the website with the one on the car's title certificate and found they were a match, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.
Russell, who now lives near Dallas, Texas, contacted the department in May, and Detective Carlos Ortega tracked down the car in East Los Angeles.
"Detective Ortega located the stolen Austin Healey at the dealership listed in the eBay ad and confirmed that the car was the same vehicle reported stolen by Mr. Russell," the department said.
After working with Philadelphia police to resolve vehicle identification issues, the department told Russell he could pick up his car.
AP
Robert Russell and his wife with the car back in their Texas garage.
He has since brought it back to Texas.
Russell told deputies that he bought the vehicle for $3,000. It's now valued at $23,000.
He said "he continued his search for the vehicle, not for its monetary value, but because it had sentimental value to him and his wife," the department said.
Russdell said he didn't hold out much hope of ever finding the vehicle he paid a friend $3,000 for back in 1968, only to find it stolen the morning after taking his future wife out on their second date.
"The fact that the car still exists is improbable," he told NBCPhiladelphia.com. "It could have been junked or wrecked."
See original story on NBCPhiladelphia.com
Russell and his wife, Cynthia, drove to Los Angeles on June 16 and took possession of the car two days later after paying roughly $600 in impoundment fees.
They also paid about $800 to have the Austin Healey shipped to their Southlake, Texas, home, where it arrived June 23.
"We were probably out $1,500 plus six days of travel and hotel costs," Russell said, NBCPhiladelphia.com reported. "I'm not complaining about any of that. I couldn't get the credit card out of my pocket fast enough."
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The Beverly Hills Car Club said it had no idea the car may have been stolen.
"Beverly Hills Car Club found the Austin Healey on Craigslist and purchased the car from a seller in New Jersey who claimed to have owned the car for 42 years. The VIN matched the registration and paperwork, had no liens and was clear and unencumbered from the State of New York, when it was issued to the seller in 1970," Versa Manos from the Beverly Hills Car Club said in a press release. "In good faith, we purchased the car and paid to have it shipped cross-country, where it was detailed, photographed and displayed for sale on our eBay page."
The Beverly Hills Car Club said it immediately took down the listing after getting a call from Russell saying that the car was stolen in 1970. The matter was handed over to the dealership's attorney for investigation into Russell's claims.
"To our knowledge, the car had a valid title and there was no report on it being a stolen vehicle, which was apparently due to an error by the Philadelphia Police Department," Manos said. "This could have happened to anyone buying a car on the Internet."
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The car club said it cooperated with local authorities to return the car to its rightful owner.
"We are all very happy that Mr. Russell has gotten his car back," says Manos. "However, we are victims in this situation. We have lost $27,000, which is what we paid for the car plus the cost to ship it to California.”
The car club said the previous “owner” had the car in his possession for the past 42 years and had been driving the car on a regular basis.
The Associated Press and msnbc.com's James Eng contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Let's see now..." "To our knowledge, the car had a valid title and there was no report on it being a stolen vehicle, which was apparently due to an error by the Philadelphia Police Department "
Why is it ALWAYS someone else's fault? LOL!!! After 40+ years, they probably figured that ...... what were the odds that the original owner would show up!!
Next on this Lottery....What are the odds that they will find that prior "owner", who apparently had it since the day it was stolen??
Stay tuned, kids.... perhaps there's more to this story! :)
They have no choice but to prosecute them for sending stolen goods across state lines.
The Beverly Hills Car Club lies. After being contacted the first thing they did was not take down the ad. The first thing they did was to offer to sell the owner back his own car for $24,000.00.
This shouldn't be too difficult a case for various police departments to resolve, and arrest the guilty party(s) responsible for the original theft. Next question; what is the time limit on "statute of limitations" in this case?
Who do you want blamed for this? Someone offers you to sell you a car, you do a basic check and it appears to be clean. What else could you possibly want?
I love the people who post around here with 20-20 hindsight and act like they'd never be duped. You guys are real gems.
I'd be pissed if I had to pay 600.00 impoundment fees. It's the police dept's job to find and retrieve you stolen property they shouldn't charge you for it.
zuksam: That was my first thought also. Why did the police charge him $600 for impounding it? I guess only the house profits, with the city being the house.
Los Angeles towing yards. They want their impounding fees no matter what. And they're bandits to take your money anyway they can. You've seen the news shows of illegal towing,etc.
What a beautiful car. I always wanted one.
I'd like to know how much the insurance company paid for his loss back in 1970, assuming he had full coverage. And I would definitely be paying that previous "owner" a personal and up close visit if it were my car stolen.
Reminds me of a story when I was in the Navy in Philly in 77. A shipmate friend's car was stolen while he was parked on Passyunk Ave. in South Philly. I gave him a ride down to the police station the next day to make out the report. AS we were leaving the station, we saw HIS stolen car go driving by on the street. So we yelled at the cops to follow the car while we jumped in my car and gave chase. After about 10 blocks through Philly's narrow streets, we finally cornered the car in a traffic tieup. There were about 4 of us who jumped out of my car and basically pinned the thieves inside the car by punching their lights out until the cops showed up seconds later. Of course, WE didn't have to wait 42 years, 42 months, 42 weeks, 42 days or even 42 hours to get HIS car back. Plus, whatever damage we did to the thieves was only a foretaste of what they got from Mayor Frank Rizzo's Philly PD.
So glad that these people managed to get their car returned to them. What an amazing story. I fully understand the love for a car.
Ishmael - good for you!!! Glad that your shipmate didn't have to wait 42 years to get his car back. ☺
WorldTravel07 - you are so right about Los Angeles towing yards. They're scum. However, the cars get there in the first place because of the cops. It's well known that cops drive up and down streets, particularly in areas where the people who live there have little power and/or are trying to keep under the radar, if you know what I mean. Those cops call the tow trucks in to tow away cars for NO reason, even out of people's driveways (that's illegal, of course). Since a lot of these folks can't complain, the cars never get claimed, and after a week or so are sold by the tow truck companies. This is a well-known racket in LA. A real scam. And a real money-maker for the crooked City of Los Angeles. Shameful.
Suprising the car still exists. More so that it is still drivable. Not suprised the title was clear. In NY in the 60's you only had to have a bill of sale to register a car. No pink slip needed. Just a piece of notebook paper saying you paid somebody for it. NY was THE favorite place to sell a hot car.
Yeah, I thought the same thing, why the hell does a victim have to pay impound fees? Ain't justice grand?
The "statute of limitations" would be out on the original theft, but not on the fraud of selling the stolen car. The Car Club will probably go after the person that sold them the car and if the owner was smart, he'd assist them in the investigation as the original thief probably sold the car to the Car Club, so that's an current crime.
What a hot car!
Another fabulous piece of work by the Philadelphia Police Department. (sarcasm)
It's great to hear the owner got his car back in reasonable condition. Doubt if they will ever catch the real thief.
anxiously awaiting follow-up info,
What I want to know... How about the man claiming to have owned it for 42 years before he sold it??
Isn't anyone going to ask the previous "owner" how he came by with possession of this car for 42 years?
....my question exactly.
Ummm, that would be previous owner/thief scumbag thank you very much. And yes. that is a very beautiful vehicle, just beautiful!
Nice car.I can see why Russell never gave up.Good for him.I wonder if the seller that claimed to have had it for 42 years was the original thief?
He probably bought it. It had a new title. I'd look at the cop who didn't file the right paper work that would have prevented the car from being titled or registered in another state he could have gotten his car back a long time ago. The car thieves probably employed cops to re-title cars and destroy paperwork. This car probably was re-titled and re-registered within two weeks of the day it was stolen.
The estimated value of $23,000 for a '67 seems quite low, especially since the car looks so nice.
Why did the car club spend $27,000 plus, for a car that is valued at $23,000?
Dealer markup. If it is valued at 23 they would add at least 10 grand more.
In the article it states $27,000 for the purchase and shipping from East to West.
Must be owned by Democrats
Yes, you are bs.
Sounds like a "slam dunk" for the Philly Police to bust the thief and list it as a "win" for the good guys. Go get 'em!
...and it's a slam dunk that the Philly doughnut boys failed to enter the vehicle into NCIC as stolen 42 years ago.
.
It's the computer's fault.
Phil police is too busying with PPA (Philadelphia Parking Authority) to sale parking tickets to its citizens, and tourists, last thing they know is how to solve real crime…
Was there an NCIC 42 years ago?
The statute of limitations ran out on the original theft 37 years ago. Unless there's a civil suit (you betcha) this is done.
But the statute of limitations for the sale of the stolen goods has just begun.
Exactly...time to track all those involved, including the unsuspecting company that hauled it from NY to LA..
the guy lived in new jersey .. so would it be to tough to have the jersy police see how he got a title to license it ? nawwwww the po po wouldn't drop the ball again ....would they ?
It can be done in Virginia.
It was much easier to get title changes back then. Claim you lost the original, forge the real owner's name, etc. Remember, it was 42 years ago.
Does anyone really think police departments have the time or resources to actually actively investigate stolen car reports in 1970 or today?No department then or now would have spent more than an occasional glance at this vehicle or any other for that matter. It was sheer luck that the vehicle even exists today,and the BHCC should pursue legal action against the former owner who sold them a stolen car.
Congradulations to Mr. Russell. This is about more than money... as he said in his statement. Those of us who love our cars can appreciate how he must feel. Just made my day !!!
He is 66 and the car was stolen 42 years ago. Hmmm, so he was 14 when it was stolen? Very odd.
Sigh... do the math. He would have been 24.
your math skills are very odd :-)....24....
I learned in second grade that 66 minus 42 is 24 - not 14.
So what school did you attend?
is GED making any sense?
might have been between the new and old math period!
You are not alone - many others can't do simple math. Use a calculator next time to avoid embarrassment.
Sorry, but I have to pile on here ....... Where in God's name did you go to school? Do you work in a field where math skills are important and who did you pay to do your math homework?
Sheesh ..... I can's stop laughing at that one ... 66-42 =14? Dang sorry, but dang ...... LMAO!!!!
Simple subtraction! You don't even have to "borrow" (or whatever they call it now) from one column to the other.
If he had another 2 feet and 2 hands he would have gotten it right.
he was 24, check your math.
He must have been really rich to buy that fancy car at that age! lol
That's wonderful! My brother had an Austin Healy in '61, loved it. But he drove it under the back of the trailer of an 18-wheeler in '63.
It doesn't state whether his insurance paid him for his vehicle when it was reported stolen. If so, he may have to settle with the insurance company. I never had an auto stolen although there have been some that I wish had been. :)
It seems to me, that the Los Angeles Police Dept. went a little overboard in charging the "original owner" of a vehicle reported stolen 42 years ago $1500 in impound and misc. fees. They should have waived those charges and seek payment from the Beverly Hills Car Club and the Seller, (Possibly the original THIEF) after all, they were the ones that bought and transported a stolen vehicle across multiple state lines.
Doesn't crossing state lines in the commission of a felony fall under national rules, thereby making it an FBI case?
My thoughts exactly Sergio. Why should the victim of this theft pay anything. Put the impound charges against the defendants.
Considering the financial mess California is in now, they would fine you for breathing if they could find a way to do it.
My '67 427 Vette with two tops was stolen long ago -- cost about the same as the Healey 3000 and are now fetching $300,000 in auctions. Wish it would turn up on EBay. Best car I ever owned, but I'm not paying as much as I would for a house.
Even in 1970, there had to be paperwork for the "Seller" to get a tag and insurance in his name. Something smells fishy.
Glad that you never gave up, I never give up for I know it always pays off.
As for the Beverly Hills Club, they should know better and they not only pay the money you had to pay. But be sued for there giant mistake, the owner and the DMV.
How, pray tell, should the BHCC have "known better" ? What "Giant Mistake" ?
They bought it from a seller who presented a legitimate title. Over the course of all those years it had fallen off any DMV lists. California DMV , if I'm not mistaken, purges those records after 7 years.
In any event, let's put it this way - if you bought a used vehicle from a seller who presented a clean title, you later sold it to me - then the vehicle turned out to have been stolen 42 years ago... exactly how much should I sue you for since you committed a "Giant Mistake"
I really feel bad for the dealership!!!
I would NEVER feel sorry for ANY dealership. Karma, baby.
So the real problem here, that the reporter didn't exactly tell about, is that the police reported the VIN incorrectly...you can tell by reading the story.
Why can't the reporter state the State's errors? How weak.
The previous “owner” had the car in his possession for the past 42 years. Yes and the previous owner is also a CAR THIEF!!! Go get him boys!
So the car club should get their money back from the guy in new jersey they
bought it from. he is probably not out anything. he got to use the car for 42 years
if he didn’t steal it. if not he can forget it.
It would seem that the typical statute or limitations for auto theft is 7 to 10 years. As I understand it California purges stolen vehicle records after 7 years.
vcstar.com/news/2007/jul/07/stolen-vehicles-finding-ways-into-the-hands-of/