Most car guys have a story of “the one that got away,” a car they never really wanted to sell but had to for one reason or another. Most people never even bother trying to find their old cars, and the few who put the time and money into tracking down lost loves are rarely awarded for their efforts. But every now and then, an old car falls back into the hands of the person who loved it most.

The Mapleton Press has the story of Harvey Thies and his 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle, which he sold in the mid-80s. He had figured the car had been crashed or crushed by then, and was surprised when a phone call out-of-the-blue offered to sell him back the Chevelle he had owned all those years ago.

Thies ordered the ‘72 Chevelle SS brand new in November of 1971, and had to wait two full months for its delivery. His father ordered a blue non-SS model the same day. Why did Harvey opt for the red SS with a bench seat? So his new girlfriend, and later on wife, could snuggle up beside him while they drove the Chevelle all around Iowa.

Harvey and Lynette kept the Chevelle for 11 years in total, before selling it in 1984. Harvey often thought of his muscle car, but never bothered trying to track it down. Then a phone call last winter from Dan Campbell, of Montello, Wisconsin, asked if Harvey was there, and if he had ever bought a 1972 Chevelle SS.

To make a long story short, Dan was looking to sell the Chevelle, which he had bought, restored, and painted Emerald Green in the early 1990s. But rather than just sell it on Cragislist, Dan decided to track down the original owner, to see if he was alive and wanted his Chevelle back. Harvey did, and after 30 long years, this Chevelle is one of the few to make it back to its original owner. Now that’s a heartwarming story.