Man Finds His Stolen Car -- 42 Years Later -- on eBay

Yep, He Got It Back

Bob Russell may be the most patient, most persistent man ever.

His prized 1967 Austin-Healey 3000 was stolen 42 years ago, from in front of his Philadelphia apartment, after a date with the woman who would eventually become his wife.

Read: Paula Abdul Is Cleaning Out Her Closets -- On eBay

Thumbs up on the date, which obviously went well, but Russell was still upset about his stolen ride. So, through the years, he kept his eyes open, checking out every Austin-Heaely he spotted in real life, and scouring the Interwebs for any Austin-Healeys he might find for sale.

And his sleuthing paid off recently, as Russell spotted a car -- what he was sure was the car -- in a listing on eBay.

Russell was certain the car was his, as the auto's VIN (vehicle identification number) matched the VIN of his beloved classic that had been stolen.  He also had the original keys for the car, the car title and signed affidavits from friends and the car's original owner saying Russell had never sold the car.

The glitch in his quest to retrieve his auto, which was for sale at a car dealership in Beverly Hills: he didn't have a copy of the 1970 stolen car he'd filed with the Philly police.

When the report was filed, Neatorama.com reports, one numeral in the VIN number had been entered incorrectly, so the stolen car report wasn't showing up in the national crime database.

Read: Girls Scouts Punch Jerk Who Stole Their Cookie Profits

Fortunately, Russell found some equally persistent, and sympathetic, cops in Philly to help him track down the report, which was passed along to the Los Angeles Police Department, which was then able to impound the car.

In June, Russell and his wife Cynthia went to Los Angeles to claim the car … 42 years and $600 in impound fees later.

Not to be a buzzkill on what is overwhelmingly a happy ending, but after 42 years, should Bob really have been charged those impound fees?!