There isn't much more exciting in this world than a good mystery, and just like this Mustang that was found earlier this year, stolen cars that end up resurfacing always seem to have an amazing story to tell.
The latest classic to be found is a 1981 Chevrolet Corvette that was brand new when it was taken, meaning it's been missing for a whopping 38 years.
After being reported as an abandoned car by a member of the public, the Livonia police department in Michigan towed the car back to the station. When they ran the VIN, it came back as being 'improper', meaning that it had been tampered with.
A specialist auto theft detective was brought in to investigate the suspicious Corvette, who confirmed the modified VIN plate. Because of this, he found the secondary "confidential" VIN plate, and managed to confirm the car's ID.
It was then that the LPD worked out that the car was taken in 1981, and considering it is a 1981 Corvette, the owner must've been heartbroken back in the day.
According to the police report, the car was stolen from Pontiac almost four decades ago, and a forged VIN was installed to hide its identity. Strangely, after being stolen, the car was hardly used over those decades, and was kept in reasonable condition.
When talking to Fox News, Detective Hall explained that there was less than 18,000km on the clock, and the car is in "fair condition for almost being 40 years old."
It is possible that the Corvette was sold to a genuine buyer after the VIN was tampered with, who then decided to store the car and keep it in good condition for the following years. Why they decided to abandon it after all those years is anyone's guess, but discovering it's dodgy history would be reason enough to ditch it.
Livonia Police are now starting the painstaking process of trying to track down the car's original owner, and reuniting them with the muscle car that they lost all those years ago.
While they may have claimed back against their insurance on the car, it seems that the Corvette will go right back to the owner due to how long it has been since the theft.