A phone call from the police to say they've recovered your stolen car is usually good news - but imagine if that call comes 36 years after you reported it missing.

That's exactly what happened to Janice Maffucci from New Jersey, USA. Her 1969 Chevrolet Camaro muscle car was stolen in July 1975 from outside the post office where her father worked.

After 36 years she naturally assumed that it was gone for good. Amazingly, it was recovered after it was recently bought online by an eagle-eyed classic car enthusiast.

Keith Williams bought the Camaro SS from eBay and discovered that certain things didn't quite add up when it arrived.

Convinced that the Chevy was a fake, Keith contacted California police, who investigated and tracked the car back to a 1975 stolen vehicle report.

They contacted the registered owner at the time, Ms Maffucci, and told her they'd found her car. She hung up, thinking it was a joke, but when the local police paid her a visit, she was convinced, and arranged to have the car delivered.

Since the theft, the Camaro's original six-cylinder engine had been swapped for a more powerful V8.

Mr Williams was able to recoup his investment in the car through buyer's insurance, and Ms Maffucci has been reunited with a car that is now worth significantly more than it was when stolen.

The original thief is yet to be found, but police continue to investigate.

source: http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/13052011/36/stolen-car-returned-36-years-0.html

Moved to crime section