An Aston Martin racing vehicle with “an exceptional history” has been discovered by cops 14 years after it was stolen.
The DB2, which contended in the 1949 Le Mans 24-hour race, was stolen in 2002 from Baldock, Hertfordshire.
Authorities utilized intelligence to track it down to a storage facility in Eindhoven, Holland, in March in 2012.
The car’s owner at the time of the theft died prior to the discovery so it was returned to a relative. It is being auctioned off for as much as ₤ 900,000 ($1,282,995).
Two men convicted of taking the vehicle in 2003 failed to return to court for sentencing and have actually never been captured again.
Det Sgt Jo Goodson, from Hertfordshire Police, who took a trip to Holland to take the automobile, stated it was “extremely satisfying” to obtain the car back.
“It was quite emotional because it’s a lovely car with an exceptional history,” she stated.
The green prototype, which was developed as a test-bed for the later production of the DB2, was the only one of 3 Aston Martins to cross the finish line in the 1949 race.
Ashley Mack, who is now the rightful owner, stated his relative Christopher Angell had actually been left “devastated” by the theft of his automobile.
“Just before he died in 2003 he was still asking ‘has that nice policeman got my car yet?'” he stated.
“Even at this stage my heart will be pleased if it doesn’t sell, but my head has to acknowledge that it will cost many thousands to restore.”
This month, the automobile will go under the hammer at Bonhams’ Goodwood Festival of Speed sale.
