This '57 Chevy Bel Air Was Just Returned To Its Owner 30 Years After It Was Stolen

Image via The Press Democrat

In 1975, Ian Wilson, a mechanic in Illinois, bought a '57 Chevy Bel Air for $375. It was white and yellow, and in pretty bad shape, so he set to work restoring it. In 1983, after completing a lot of work, it was stolen from his home, only to be recovered without an engine or transmission.

But that's not where the story ends, as it had been stolen again within a year. You might think Ian is an unlucky man, but The Press Democrat reports that 30 years after it was stolen, it's back in his driveway - fully restored.

Wilson says that he feels bad for the restorers, and the new owner in Australia, who put a lot of time and money into its restoration assuming it was a legally owned car. And that restoration has been thorough - under the cherry red hood is a 350hp V8, with a Holley four-barrel carburettor. It's also had front disc brakes and rack-and-pinion steering fitted, and lots of chrome that never used to be there.

A red 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air like the one returned to Wilson last week

The vehicle's history came to light after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers noticed the car during a routine check of shipping containers. The VIN was checked and matched to a stolen vehicle, just two days before it was due to be shipped to Australia.

Incredibly, the car had been registered to four different owners since it was stolen, meaning the Department of Motor Vehicles had transferred ownership of the car, despite it being registered as stolen.

The DMV even told him he was liable for 30 years of registration fees, though they later backed down, no doubt after realising they should never have allowed it to be registered to a new owner in the first place.

For just $900 transportation costs, Wilson got his dream car home at last.