Stolen Race Car

[Silver 3]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law...-1226796235774
Search for rare $320,000 Rennmax race car stolen from Rowville, Melbourne
HERALD SUN JANUARY 07, 2014 1:42PM

Search for rare $320k race car
The race car was stolen from a factory in Rowville.
THE owner of a rare race car stolen from a factory in southeast Melbourne fears it has been shipped overseas in what appears to be an organised heist.

Jay Bondini was left "absolutely devastated" when he found the locks on the gates to his Rowville factory had been cut and his fully restored 1970 Rennmax race car worth $320,000 gone just before Christmas.

The bright yellow high-powered car is believed to have been taken from the Henderson Rd premises between 11am on December 21 and 10am on December 22.

It is the only Rennmax vehicle in the world with the Repco Brabham engine, used by Sir Jack Brabham to win the world championship.

"I'm absolutely devastated," he said. "It's part of Australian history.

"The police seem to think it is a targeted hit. Someone has put an order in from overseas and it could be on a shipping container in the middle of the ocean as we speak.

"Another theory is that it has been dumped and burnt somewhere.

"They think that there is little chance of getting it back in one piece."

Detective Sergeant Adam McFarlane confirmed it was a "strong possibility" the Australian-made racer had been shipped abroad.

"Definitely, that is a chance," he said.

He said it was likely that if the car was sold to an overseas market, the buyers may not know it was stolen.

A trailer carrying the car was found in Cape Woolamai on Christmas Day. Source: Supplied
After a long racing history in the hands of Doug McArthur from 1970 to 1972, then Barry Norman Randall from 1972 to 1975, and the Gibson family from 1975 to 2011, Mr Bondini purchased the car and spent 12 months - and a lot of money - restoring it.

"It had been sitting for many years and it took a team of very talented, very good friends 12 months and a hell of a lot of money to rebuild the car to the state it is in," he said.

"This is the only one in the world with a Repco engine fitted and is very rare."

The mechanical engineer said the car was stored in a trailer and was wedged between two other cars in the workshop, meaning the thieves would have had to drag the trailer sideways to remove it.

"It would've been a major effort and taken more than one person," he said.

Mr Bondini, 53, thought all his Christmases had come at once when the trailer was found in Cape Woolamai, near Phillip Island on Christmas Day.

But it had been completely stripped, including spare parts and tools, he said.

Police searched the area for days in hope of finding the vehicle, but there was no sign of it.

Det-Sgt McFarlane said they have collaborated with Customs but so far have been unable to establish strong leads to the whereabouts of the performance vehicle.

"This car is the only one of its type and we desperately seek those with information to come forward so we can return it to the owners," he said.

Police said the numberplates on the trailer were swapped, which would have helped the thieves avoid capture.

Car lovers took to online motoring websites to express their outrage over the theft.

"It would be real tragic to all if its dumped and burnt," Neil Choi wrote on the Alfa Romeo Owners Club of Australia Forum website.

Another wrote: "Very sad indeed. I do hope it turns up in one piece."

Mr Bondini urged anyone with information about the theft of his pride and joy to call police.

The race car cannot be registered and police have appealed for public help to find it.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit crimestoppers.com.au.

[Silver 3]

The Police have 2 theories--the thieves knew what they were taking--or-- the thieves did not know what they were taking!!

Regardless-- can only hope it is found. It does make you wonder what on earth anyone thinks they can do with it.

[NinnyMan]

The fact that the trailer was found - minus the car - could suggest they *******s knew what they were taking.

[PVDA]

This has been bouncing around on Facebook for a few weeks now.

Stolen from Rowville, trailer found at Cape Woolamai (near Phillip Island) on Christmas Day.

I wonder if anyone spotted a shipping container down that way around Christmas as there's a fair chance this was a targeted theft and it's headed overseas.

Good to see you're still around Silver we haven't really heard much from you for a while.

[STEALTHY]

It saddens me that someone with a $320,000 car, didn't have a spare $500 to setup a 24/7 monitoring system!

Its quite easy to setup, and you can view it anytime with your phone for free depending on what software you use!

[Bell_End]

Originally Posted by STEALTHY

It saddens me that someone with a $320,000 car, didn't have a spare $500 to setup a 24/7 monitoring system!

Its quite easy to setup, and you can view it anytime with your phone for free depending on what software you use!

With a $500 buck system all you would see is some grainy men driving away with your trailer...




Can not see what they would do with it overseas, it not like there are many places you can run it as everyone at a Historic meet would be able to figure out your car is dodgy, and doubt there is some sheik/oligarch with a hard on for such a car..

[JAFA851]

This was on 9 News in Perth tonight, although I read it on a forum weeks ago.

I'd say stolen to order. They left the 2 Lola F5000's and the Nissan WSC untouched. +1 on the security, or lack of it. Someone had to know it was there and cased the joint beforehand. Hope they recover it.

[STEALTHY]

Originally Posted by Bell_End

With a $500 buck system all you would see is some grainy men driving away with your trailer...

Thats all you'd need to see. A call to the police at that instant would give a pretty successful outcome, considering what they had to do to get the trailer out

Cheap insurance in my eyes!

[Backagain]

According to Ch.9, car has been found overnight, great result and great work by Police.

[E36ST]

Why would you try to monitor it yourself. Maybe you're in the pub, out fishing, asleep, in a meeting, out of range... Leave it to a professional alarm monitoring company who can deal with it within seconds 24/7

[Bell_End]

Plenty of stupid crims out there, much more than the number of people wanting such a unique car and would resort to a heist to stealing it and effectively then having to have to keep it in a shed for the rest of it's life never being able to race said car with other period cars or show it off to anyone that would probably appreciate it.

[Casper]

It has always amazed me that owners do not put monitored GPS trackers in both the car and the trailer. They aren't fool proof but it gives some chance of tracking both and was the first thing we installed when we bought the trailer and race vehicle. If the right precautions aren't taken you get what you deserve. Even if it goes OS and the thieves do not know the GPS is in the car the better trackers will tell you where it is.

[DAVID PATERSON]

Originally Posted by Casper

It has always amazed me that owners do not put monitored GPS trackers in both the car and the trailer. They aren't fool proof but it gives some chance of tracking both and was the first thing we installed when we bought the trailer and race vehicle. If the right precautions aren't taken you get what you deserve. Even if it goes OS and the thieves do not know the GPS is in the car the better trackers will tell you where it is.

Do these GPS trackers work if the thieves put the car in a pantech or a shipping container?

[peckstar]

maybe it was the trailer someone wanted

A RARE 1970 Rennmax race car worth $320,000 has been found, less than 12km from where it was stolen.
The yellow race car, with the Repco Brabham engine used by Sir Jack Brabham to win the world championship, was stolen from a factory in southeast Melbourne some time between 11am on December 21 and 10am on December 22.

A passer-by saw the car on the side of a road in Belgrave South about 12.30am on Wednesday and called police.

The car will be returned to its owners later in the day, police say.

[NinnyMan]

Originally Posted by JAFA851

This was on 9 News in Perth tonight, although I read it on a forum weeks ago.

I'd say stolen to order. They left the 2 Lola F5000's and the Nissan WSC untouched. +1 on the security, or lack of it. Someone had to know it was there and cased the joint beforehand. Hope they recover it.

Those 2 cars were inside the factory. The stolen car was in the trailer in the yard.

Originally Posted by peckstar

maybe it was the trailer someone wanted

The trailer was found earlier, near Ph Island.
Maybe they just wanted to do some hot laps???

[PVDA]

Originally Posted by peckstar

maybe it was the trailer someone wanted

The trailer was found on Christmas Day near Phillip Island, had stolen plates on it which made identifying the owner harder.

Originally Posted by Backagain

According to Ch.9, car has been found overnight, great result and great work by Police.

Hardly. VicPol spent three weeks getting nowhere while this was all over Social Media.

They finally put out a Press Release on the theft which the general media picked up yesterday and obviously spooked the thieves who dumped the car in Belgrave last night and was seen and recognised by a passer by who called the Police.

[Armco Bender]

Probably found the Repco wouldn't shoehorn into the HQ.

[canamman]

Here is a link to the news story:
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/st...108-30fxc.html

[GTRMagic]

If someone wants to pinch your car, no amount of security is going to stop them..!!

Either way, the loss of the car is a horrible one to have happen... especially one with such rarity in its powerplant...

Great that it has been returned

[PVDA]

Jay posted this somewhere else on Facebook and give a description of the damage they did.

"I have finally had a chance to go over some of the car and it does not look good.

It was run and it is covered in mud and gravel .

The half shafts are bent and broken and the cars rims are bent on the right hand side rear where it has hit something.

The front RH side is sitting up 15 mm and the chassis may be bent and the alloy under tray is bent.

The wheels are pointing the wrong way, bent front end.

The rack looks bent but will have to have it looked at.

The bodywork will have to be repaired and fully repainted.

A new rear wing will be required as the old one is bent in the centre.

Gearbox and clutch will have to be inspected and tested as will all of the uprights and arms.

A new radiator and duct will have to be made.

The engine looks like it was cooked and it has no water in it.

A lot of small parts have been removed and it looks like they were going to paint it.

So basically a full rebuild from the ground up."

[JAFA851]

I'm glad they found it, shame it's been damaged.

Regarding the security situation, yes it sounds like he had "basic" security ( gate padlocked etc ), but with all the cars he's got in there, and being worth what they are, and in the case of the Renmax irreplaceable, basic security measures aren't enough. Security should be tailored to what it is protecting. A padlocked gate is fine when you've got and old 6cyl 4 door falcon behind it, but when you've got millions of dollars worth of gear in the shed you should have something a bit better. Unfortunately for him he's just learnt the hard ( and now expensive ) way.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by JAFA851

I'm glad they found it, shame it's been damaged.

That's not damaged, that's totally donald ducked!!

[Bell_End]

Shirley someone would of heard a such a car being thrashed around as it seems to of been...

[GORDON STREETER]

A local farmer to me several years back left his Land Rover parked on double yellow lines with an electric fence unit earthed and operating,
A good idea except a traffic warden tried to put a ticket on it and got a belt !!!

[GreenMachine]

This is what we are talking about ...



Hopefully, with insurance the car can be repaired speedily.