Bob Russell and his wife Cyndy pose with the recovered Austin Healy (Image source: Reproduction / The Dallas Morning News)

Bob Russel is a good example of how some men really love their cars. After more than 40 years of persistence and internet research, Russell retrieved his stolen Austin Healey 3000 in the 1960s. The most interesting thing about this story is that the stolen vehicle was found for sale on eBay.

There were years of surfing the internet and looking at similar Healeys on the road. That's how Russell - a retired Texas sales manager - summed up his search for his car. Also, since eBay came into existence, he periodically checked vehicle ads until, on May 11, there was his Healey and a possible happy ending to that story.

In the course of events, Russell called the dealer who advertised the vehicle on the site and told him that he was selling a stolen car. The retiree also confirmed that the identification number matched his Healey's - he still had the original key and car title, as well as signed statements from friends, including the original owner, indicating that he had never sold the car.

After many negotiations and the recovery of the theft report at the time of the theft, Russell has recovered his Austin Healey 3000. Now he plans to restore the vehicle - which will be worth, according to Russel, about $ 50, 000.

Source: SFGate