$300,000 Chevelle Stolen After Car Show

Many people go to great lengths to find, buy, rebuild, and display classic cars, often spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process. Keith Parmer of Holt, Michigan started collecting cars when he was 16, and now at age 48 he saved up enough time and money to build the car of his dreams, a 1970 Chevy Chevelle with a Corvette Z06 engine under the hood.

But scumbag thieves have ripped off Parmer’s masterpiece, the Indianapolis Star reports. Keith and his wife were staying at a hotel in Indianapolis for the 3rd annual Goodguys Speedway Nationals, when thieves struck in the middle of the night, stealing his $300,000 Chevelle right out of his trailer.

Parmer awoke the next morning to find the locks had been cut off and the ramp lowered, his Chevelle gone. The Chevelle owner felt “numb” and had a hard time processing what had just happened. Classic car thefts at major car shows have become increasingly common in recent months, with three high-profile classic Chevys stolen from the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

It is an especially deep wound for Parmer and his wife, who spent their retirement savings (an estimated $300,000) buying and restoring the Chevelle, which was their dream car. In addition to the Z06 engine, Parmer had installed creature comforts like air conditioning and GPS, as well as a completely custom interior and truck.

As you can see from the photo, the Chevelle looked mint, but it won’t be easy to find. Here’s hoping the Indy police can help Mr. Parmer out; let’s hope he had the car appraised by an insurance company, though nothing can ever get all those hours of love and labor back.