This gives anyone with a beloved project vehicle nightmares about waking up to find their ride gone.
A total of five classic cars have been boosted from hotel parking lots in Charlotte, North Carolina. The cars were discovered missing on the morning of Sunday, June 9. They were part of the 25th Hot Rod Power Tour which had made a stop in Charlotte last weekend. Now police are investigating and owners are spreading the word through social media.
One of the stolen cars was a 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS that had just gone through a thorough restomod. The owner, Garrett Alexander Reed, had installed a detachable steering wheel, yet the thieves were still able to successfully take the car. According to Reed, it’s worth over $50,000.
Another of the boosted cars was a bright yellow 1983 Chevy Malibu Wagon
A 1994 Chevrolet Silverado was also targeted in the seemingly coordinated thefts. The owner, Roger Bentley, told reporters the thieves “… took away a part of me that I can’t get back.”
Some have theorized the criminals attended one or more shows, staking out which cars they were interested in stealing, then following the owners back to their hotels before finalizing plans to boost each one in the night. That
The 25th Hot Rod Power Tour held an event at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia on Sunday and then Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee on Monday. The five stolen classic cars were obviously not in attendance for those or subsequent stops. For seven days, owners travel from one city to another for shows, drawing huge crowds. Organizers were anticipating the show this year would draw about 6,000 collector cars owners were interested in showing off.
The thefts don’t seem to have stopped car owners from attending the other stops in the tour. Some have posted on social media about taking extra precautions at night, like parking near their hotel’s entrance.
Source: The Charlotte Observer
Image credit: Garrett Alexander Reed
