Forty-six years ago, a bullet grey, two-door 1967 Jaguar XKE was stolen from its home in New York. Nearly 50 years later and a shade of paint lighter, it’ll finally be reunited with its 82-year-old owner after being recovered by U.S. Border Patrol officers in California.
#CBP officers in LA recovered a two-door ’67 Jaguar XKE convertible stolen 46 years ago in NY. http://t.co/z4JpVbZ8Pm pic.twitter.com/EQ7VjzYb9Z— CBP (@CustomsBorder) September 17, 2014
The old-school convertible was discovered in a shipping container en route to the Netherlands, along with four other cars, including a 1969 Chevrolet Corvette and a 1976 Mercedes-Benz 280. The shipping container had left from the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport complex and was discovered by Border Patrol officials, working with a special agent from the National Insurance Crime Bureau and an investigator working with California’s Highway Patrol Foreign Export and Recovery team. (RELATED: Texas Border Patrol Seizes 5,000 Hair Dryers)
Worth just $5,000 when it was stolen, its value is now an estimated $23,600.
Today the owner, 82, spoke about his excitement of being reunited w/ car. He plans to restore it to its former glory! pic.twitter.com/MFvrTw1w85
— CBP (@CustomsBorder) September 17, 2014
“This is just a miracle, a miracle,” said the owner, who now lives in Florida. “I was 36 years old then and now I’m 82. It was my first good car and favorite. It’s a wonderful car. I used to get up at 4 or 5 in the morning on either Saturday or Sunday and drive it 90 to 100 [mph] on the highway in New York. It was good for the engine in a car like that. I bought it brand new. I had it less than a year. I’m going to restore it. And, if anyone asks, I’ll tell them I’m very proud of my government.”