Three of the desirable muscle cars taking part – or destined to take part – in the weekend’s Wintersun Festival on Queensland’s Gold Coast have been stolen. One didn’t even make it to the Gold Coast and was stolen en-route.
Billed as “Australia’s Leading Rock & Roll Nostalgia Retro Event”, the Wintersun Festival is said to have drawn almost 1500 hot rods, custom and classic cars.
According to the
www.goldcoast.com.au website, thieves used seat belts cut from Rob Anderson’s 1971 XY GT Falcon to drag it away in the early hours of the morning, probably to a waiting tow truck. The rare Zircon Green GT – one of only two cars said to have left the factory in that colour – was stolen from the Coolangatta resort he was staying at.
In a plea for information emailed to various classic car fans Australia-wide, his son Jason described the thieves as “low life”. He said the thieves broke into a locked garage then broke the car’s steering lock, brake and clutch padlock. The car, usually garaged at Narrabri, was his father’s “pride and joy”, he said.
According to www.goldcoast.com.au Glen and Laurie Hamilton’s Vedora Green, gold-striped 1970 HT GTS Monaro was stolen at Tewantin, near Noosa, last week. The Hamiltons were staying with a friend on their way to the Wintersun Festival when the car was stolen from the friend’s driveway during the night.
The Hamiltons made their way to the festival and distributed flyers with details of their car, hoping someone had seen it.
Rob Hohnke also woke to find his 1973 Wild Plum XA Falcon coupe stolen from the gated carpark of the Tugun resort where he was staying for the festival.
According to www.goldcoast.com.au the cars may have been stolen to order, filling a shopping list made by a collector, and Gold Coast police are investigating to see if the thefts are related.
Police are appealing for any information about the thefts. Contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Check out the Wintersun Gallery
here.