Posted on 05/19/2024 9:28:06 AM PDT by lowbridge
An Oakland man has been left heartbroken after his rare vintage Corvette was stolen from his garage just before his 80th birthday.
Dave Lechthaler, 80, described how a mob of thieves broke into his home on April 15 before riding off with his $200,000 1959 Corvette, which has been his pride and joy for the past 18 years.
Surveillance footage captured the brazen act, showing two suspects breaking into the garage, before running off in the Corvette within a matter of minutes.
'It's like a stab in the heart,' he told the Fox affiliate KTVU.
He is now pointing fingers at the city's leadership for what he perceives as a lack of accountability for criminals.
'There are no consequences in this city. People can steal and rob,' Lechthaler told KTVU.
Lechthaler has a strong passion for automobiles, with his home now adorned with photos from his racing days.
'It hurts because my life, my whole life, has been hot rod cars since I was 14 years old,' he explained.
Lechthaler said he poured his heart and soul into the convertible, dedicating countless hours to its maintenance and upkeep.
He also carefully rebuilt the engine, gave the car a fresh coat of paint, and reupholstered it.
Lechthaler believes he may have been followed from a car show in Pleasanton, where his prized possession caught the eye of the thieves.
While the Corvette is insured, the loss is irreplaceable for Lechthaler.
His message to the perpetrators is simple: 'I want my car back.'
Figures from January show a shocking one in thirty Oakland residents had their car stolen last year - a total of 15,000 vehicles.
This is a 45 percent increase in just 12 months, and the highest number in 15 years
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
“Value changes radically depending on how original the car is. That model was going for $100k over decade ago. I had a ‘59 vette so I kept up with kind of stuff.”
A professionlly restored numbers matching 290 fuelie with 48k miles is listed at $140k. Nothing even close to $200k.
Thanks for your orig comment. Where we get ideas is interesting.
Note it emphasized no legal hanging for horse thieves.
Sure they can. Most rare high end vehicles are put on boats and shipped overseas, never to be seen again. Happens all the time.
“and you just could bolt speed stuff on in those days,”
My 2019 has a “bolt-on” Eaton supercharger.
Problem with that tracker is, it uses an OBD2 port, which is the first place thieves check when they steal a car. Also, this car is too old to have an OBD2 port.
That’s for the insurance company.
The worst thing is that the thieves will probably have trashed it, even if police can trace it and return it.
A friend had a 1964 Porsche 912. He spent 3 years restoring it. It was beautiful white with red interior, manual tranny of course. After he was done fixing it up he spent less than a year living in daily terror of it being stolen. Afraid to drive it anywhere and park it. Rushed home after work every day. Locks and alarms. He finally sold it. Said it was a huge relief. And this was Salt Lake City. I can’t imagine trying to own something like this in freaking Oakland.
Probably on its way to China or Russia or Mexico.
Operative word: Restored. Worth less than an original in very good shape.
“The worst thing is that the thieves will probably have trashed it, even if police can trace it and return it.”
It is already in Mexico on its way to a new owner in the Mideast.
Wait, what is the US even doing in Oakland?
GET THE US OUT OF OAKLAND!!
I just asked for the highest sale of a ‘59 Vette:
USD$825,000
Highest Sale Value USD$825,000
Auction Results and Sales Data for 1959 Chevrolet Corvette C1
www.conceptcarz.com/valuation/211/chevrolet-corvette-c1.aspx
“My 2019 has a “bolt-on” Eaton supercharger.”
Don’t be tempting me to put one on my Frontier!
He still lives in oakland with a $200,000 car in his garage? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
There’s a reason I left Seattle for rural Kentucky 13 years ago. Perhaps this guy needed to leave Oakland for a similar reason.
Betting it’s on a container and headed to the ME.
“Operative word: Restored.”
I guess you missed the part where his wasn’t all original.
A steel to order car probably. Easy to spot on the road so probably in a shipping container.
From your link:
Excellent condition: $82,500 - $123,750.
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