1969 Impala found, Surrey/London. Unknown owner.

[datman]

this has been circulating the internet today.
crimeandjustice.co.uk/2015/03/09/appeal-to-trace-owner-of-classic-car-found-abandoned-in-sutton/

[dodgerover]

Has it been posted on rods n sods?

[Mercdan68]

Nice to hear a police officer with sympathy for the car, hope the owner is found a lovely old yank that is

[deaddave72]

Mar 9, 2015 20:34:59 GMT dodgerover said:

Has it been posted on rods n sods?

yes it has here :- www.rodsnsods.co.uk/forum/chat/anyone-lost-impala-london-326226

[omega]

that looks a hard hit

[Ryannn]

I just came on to post this, so I'll do it anyway!





THIS IS FROM NEW SCOTLAND YARD - IF YOU'VE LOST A 1969 CHEVY IMPALA GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM NOW!!
Police in Sutton are making a final attempt to trace the owner of a white Chevrolet Impala SuperSport to save the vehicle from being scrapped after it was found abandoned at the roadside in rush-hour traffic in Sutton.

The vehicle dating back to 1969, which is quite rare in the UK, was taken to a police car pound after it was recovered at the junction of Cheam Road and Belmont Rise on Tuesday, 17 February at 08:10hrs.

The vehicle had accident damage to its front and side - which is likely to have occurred elsewhere.

Police believe that the vehicle may have been stolen and used by joy-riders. The vehicle has an Idaho (USA) registration plate of 2CJM614.

PC Jamie Stone, of Sutton Police Station, said: "All enquiries to find the owner have proved fruitless to date. Unless we find the owner, this classic American muscle car faces being turned into soup cans, which breaks my heart a little."

He said the vehicle may have been kept in a lock-up and the owner may not yet be aware that it has been taken. "This is the only opportunity we have to try and re-unite it with its owner before it gets destroyed," he said.

The MPS take into consideration the condition of the vehicle when it makes a decision about whether the vehicle is sent to auction for sale, breaking or scrap.

Vehicles that are in un-roadworthy condition may be auctioned for breaking purposes at an authorised treatment facility.

The owner has until Friday, 20 March to come forward when the mandatory retention period for the disposal of this abandoned vehicle - under the vehicle disposal regulation - is due to expire.

Anyone who is the owner, or knows the owner of this vehicle should contact Sutton Police on 101 quoting reference number 4001824/15. To claim the vehicle, the rightful owner will be required to produce a number of documents to prove entitlement to the vehicle.

[mk14dr]

I came to post this too, I've shared it on facebook with the vague hope somebody knows the owner. What a bloody waste though...

[PandaSelecta]

Not that It helps find the owner, but that's a 68, not a 69.

[grifterkid]

Blimey...!

I do hope that this fabulous car gets reunited with its owner...

There are loads of reasons why it could end up being scrapped though as there are some people out there that have a number of different cars in a number of different locations and don't even notice they're gone if they've not checked on them for example...!!! Failing that the owner might not even be in this country currently...!!!

This is really very sad so let's hope something positive comes of it.

I don't understand why the car has to be destroyed though...?! What's all that about?!?!?!

[joem83]

I have tried getting Jalopnik to share it on FB but they to busy posting dash cam vids...

[Paul H]

It has now made the national press:

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11460677/Classic-Chevrolet-sports-car-to-be-turned-into-soup-cans-unless-owner-is-found.html

[datman]

it probably won't get scrapped but that's sensationalist journalism. It would likely get auctioned but whoever buys it would probably have to pay some duty and VAT before it could be registered on it if there is no record of it being imported here, (if the taxes had already been paid that would surely have led them to the owner.) i wonder if the police have bothered contacting the American DMV people to see who the last registered keeper was over there, as they could have details of the purchaser.

[Deleted]

Mar 10, 2015 12:14:52 GMT grifterkid said:

Blimey...!

I don't understand why the car has to be destroyed though...?! What's all that about?!?!?!

Its because the owner hasn't claimed it and due go the damage an the fact it is not registered the only course of action open to the police is to sell it at auction for salvage so at least the running gear etc will still live on.

[grifterkid]

That really is a tragedy...

If that was my car and I was out for the country or in hospital (for example) for a couple of months I'd be mortified to learn that the car was broken and/or cubed whilst I was unable to do anything about it...!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ryannn]

It could even be part of a deceased estate that is yet to be sorted out.

[guinnal]

Mar 11, 2015 0:35:42 GMT datman said:

it probably won't get scrapped but that's sensationalist journalism. It would likely get auctioned but whoever buys it would probably have to pay some duty and VAT before it could be registered on it if there is no record of it being imported here, (if the taxes had already been paid that would surely have led them to the owner.) i wonder if the police have bothered contacting the American DMV people to see who the last registered keeper was over there, as they could have details of the purchaser.

Police are unlikely to invest the time (unless it happens to fall before a petrolhead policeman who takes the initiative- I hope it does)

[Smiler]

A good friend of mine has one of these. He can fit the complete rear hatch of a Rover SD1 in the boot/'trunk' with room to spare and close the lid.

It's a boat but it's lovely.

[Battles]

It was stolen in Idaho (has idaho plates) and the owner has come forward after an Idaho news channel reported it as a wacky, unusual news story.
www.ktvb.com/story/news/local/2015/03/10/chevy-impala-nampa/24705561/

[colnerov]

Idaho to London, that is some joyride. Seriously though, it takes time , money and effort to ship a car over to here and the same again to go back. So if the insurance has paid out then it belongs to them, or will the American woman want to pay to ship a damaged car back? Plus is there Customs duty and VAT to pay if sold? If customs have no knowledge of it that means it was smuggled in so they could confiscate it. So I think it could end up as salvage over here.

Colin

[PandaSelecta]

Doubt it was stolen in Idaho. More likely she sold it, it was imported into the UK, and before the new owner has had time to register it, it has been stolen.

Or maybe it could be that whoever has imported it into the UK found out it was stolen in the USA and that's why they didn't come forward to collect it.