Stolen Model A

Y-Blockhead

Well-known member
I just received this e-mail from Rick Black. Let's find these SOBs.

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I park my 2016 3/4 ton pickup in front of the garage door where my Model A is parked. If anybody wants to try and steal the Model A they must first start and move the truck. Not easy to do with the security systems on today's vehicles.

I would like to learn more about the theft. Where the keys in the car and they just drove it off? Or was a trailer involved. Was the garage door locked so that the garage had to be broken into? Was this in a rural area or a city? Details, details, details.
 
The theft of cars like this Model A are difficult to understand but not unheard of. A few years ago, a guy in our club had his 1930s Chev stolen. A lot of us feared it was destined to be stripped and rodded. To this day, no trace of it has been found so I suspect we were right. In another case, a friend was buying a Model A in Arizona but the seller didn't deliver. He claimed it and the trailer it was on were stolen. Several times, when I have heard of a vintage car being stolen, it is actually the trailer that they ae after and he car is often found dumped at the side of the road somewhere but the trailer is never found.
 
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I think a percentage of collector cars end up in shipping containers, bound for overseas.
 
I think a percentage of collector cars end up in shipping containers, bound for overseas.

The effort involved in exporting a car would hardly be worth it for a Model A - export permits, organise a title etc. Those who would steal a car are probably stupid enough to think a Model A is worth a fortune. Boy, will they be disappointed.
 
A very well known Model T guy here in San Antonio has a single axle trailer, which he says is less attractive to thieves than a dual axle. It looks like it has been vandalized by a colorblind meth head, painted in a series of four foot wide stripes in clashing colors, and no discernible pattern. Of course, he did it himself, transforming a perfectly good trailer into a bizarre eyesore. He said if someone steals it, they’d have a lot of work ahead of them to completely repaint it to keep it from being identified. From a quarter mile away.
 
Be on the look-out for Model A parts selling cheap on line or at a swap meet. especially Victoria interiors. LRF
 
God that's awful... If someone stole my A, they would look like Swiss cheese when I'm done with them. Let's hunt the thief down y'all. Keep eyes peeled on the ads for vickys.
 
The effort involved in exporting a car would hardly be worth it for a Model A - export permits, organise a title etc. Those who would steal a car are probably stupid enough to think a Model A is worth a fortune. Boy, will they be disappointed.
Unlike stolen SSV Commodores leaving Australia.
 
Unlike stolen SSV Commodores leaving Australia.

I know of several Maloo utes legitimately sent to the US. The guys who own and drive them swear they are the best cars they have ever driven. IMO, if GM were smart, they would have continued sending SS Commodores there even after they scrapped the Pontiac name.
For American readers, Australian made SS commodores were marketed over there as Pontiac GTOs until the GFC and we sent thousands of what we call "Statesman" cars {longer wheel base} with the SS mechanicals over there for your police. They reckoned no one got away from them then. Those cars were rebranded "Chevrolet".
There is a suspicion that GM head office didn't want the competition, even though they were still GM cars. Ford, Detroit, on the other hand forbade Ford Australia making a LHD version of the Australian Falcon. For the same reason?
As with all of big business, there has been much behind the scenes manoeuvring. We will never know the full picture.
 
Model A Ford recovered. Found.

Don't know much details, other than the car was recovered in Oregon. Paraphrasing Ed Tolman, whoever stole it didn't know to advance the spark and apparently hid the car in frustration during their attempted get-a-way.
 
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