Investigators are seeking the public’s help in tracking down a hot rod stolen from a Walnut family who’s had it for four generations, deputies said Wednesday.
The car is a 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air 409 bubble top — the vehicle that inspired the Beach Boys’ song “409” and influenced a generation of muscle cars.
The cherry red two-door was taken from a home on La Tortola Drive the night of Jan. 22, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said in a news release.
The car’s owner, who wished to identify himself only as Billy, told KTLA he’d just finished washing it in front of his house to get ready for a show. He went back inside for a moment, and the Bel Air was gone.
“It’s almost like losing a member of my family,” he said. “I got it from my dad, and I had it all this time and I planned on giving it to my son.”
Two people were involved in the heist, investigators said.
The first drove up in a sedan and broke the classic car’s window, then the second pulled up in a dark-colored truck, loaded the Bel Air onto a towing device and drove away, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Similar models are listed for sale online starting at around $38,000, with asking prices above $63,000 for those in mint condition.
Anyone who knows of the bubble top’s whereabouts or who may have been involved can contact sheriff’s detectives at 909-595-2264. Anonymous tips may be submitted via 800-222-8477 or LACrimeStoppers.org.