West District RCMP are asking the public to keep an eye out for a stolen classic car that should be easy to spot.
A 1965 Mercury Comet was stolen from a home in the Royal Road area, just outside Fredericton, sometime during the night of May 21, Cpl. Jasmin Malenfant said in a statement.
The robin egg-blue car has a New Brunswick licence plate: JOV 764.
Monte Merrithew, director of the New Brunswick Antique Auto Club Inc.'s Lower Valley Region, said his heart goes out to the owner.
Although he doesn't know him or her personally, "None of us want to lose our babies," he said.
"I have two antique cars myself and I know I would feel pretty bad if somebody stole them on me."
Insurance can't replace it
Merrithew estimated the Comet could be worth between $7,000 and $30,000, depending on the model and condition.
And while insurance would cover the cost, "that's still not going to replace it."
Vintage cars are rare and hard to come by, said Merrithew, who owns a white 1964 Pontiac Parisienne convertible, which he affectionately calls "the big boat," and a red 1966 Pontiac Acadian.
There's also the time, money and effort that often goes into restoring them to consider, he said.
"A lot of us are passionate about our cars and we keep them pristine as much as we can."
Then there's the nostalgic value.
I wouldn't want to repeat what I'd want to say to some guy like that who stole the car, but I would hope he has the decency to at least return the car.- Monte Merrithew, N.B. Antique Auto Club
For Merrithew, his 1966 Pontiac Acadian is a virtual time travelling machine. It transports him back to when he and his wife, Barbara, first married and had "almost the exact same car."
He splurged to mark their 40th wedding anniversary.
For other people, it's a chance to "relive their youth," owning a car like the one their parents had when they were growing up, he said.
Many owners proudly display their vintage vehicles at car shows and carry photo albums of their car with them. "It's like a baby book, but your car instead."
It's one thing to lose such a car to a flood or fire, but to have someone steal it is another story, said Merrithew.
"I wouldn't want to repeat what I'd want to say to some guy like that who stole the car, but I would hope he has the decency to at least return the car," he said.
"I hope that somebody just didn't take the car someplace and destroyed it or put it in the bottom of a lake."
Merrithew expects any news about the stolen car will travel "real quick" in the close-knit antique car community. The club has about 40 members in the Lower Valley Region and about 400 provincewide, he said.
"If there's any information out there, I think it would soon be passed along amongst us old car hobby people."
RCMP are asking anyone with information about the case to call them at 506-357-4300 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).