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Classic Car Stolen 33 Years Ago Reunited With Original Owner In SMC: Police

A routine inspection led authorities back to a theft reported more than three decades ago.

| Updated
Investigators ultimately determined that the vehicle was the same Chevelle reported stolen in San Mateo County in 1993. (California Highway Patrol )

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — A 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle stolen in San Mateo County in 1993 has been reunited with its original owner after authorities discovered the classic car more than three decades later.

The Chevelle had been missing for 33 years when California Highway Patrol officers in Auburn recently encountered it during a vehicle identification number inspection.

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Officers noticed something that warranted further investigation, according to the CHP.

Investigators ultimately determined that the vehicle was the same Chevelle reported stolen in San Mateo County in 1993.

"After more than three decades, this classic is finally back where it belongs," the CHP said.

With assistance from the San Mateo Police Department, investigators confirmed the vehicle's history and were able to return it to its original owner.

Authorities did not provide details about where the Chevelle had been during the intervening decades or how it came into the possession of the person who brought it in for the inspection.

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