It was 1970 when a thief stole Robert Russell’s 1967 Austin Healey from in front of his Philadelphia home. Even as the decades came and went, Russell never gave up hope of getting back his cherished vehicle.

Then, after a recent bout of insomnia, Russell took to eBay and started searching for the sports car. Lo and behold he saw a photo of one that looked just like it. Since he still had the Austin Healey’s VIN number, he was able to determine the car that had made its way to a used car lot in Los Angeles really was his.

Working with the police in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, Russell established that he was the vehicle’s true owner. But it was only after he coughed up about $600 in impoundment fees and another $800 to have it shipped to Texas, where he now lives, that car and owner were reunited after more than 4o years.

The car that Russell bought for $3,000 is now worth closer to $25,000, and he thinks he can get the value up to $50,000 through further restoration. But we’re thinking the 66-year-old won’t be selling the car he was finally reunited with anytime soon.

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