By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
A FEVERISH social media campaign has been launched to track down a distinctive customised Holden stolen from a central Dandenong car park.
Somewhat symbolically, the 1961 EK Holden with rego HHT 197 vanished from the Thomas Street multi-deck between 9am and 5.30pm on Tuesday – the day before Holden announced its departure from these shores by 2017.
Devastated owner Brett Baynham, of Cranbourne North, had spent $4500 customising his beloved machine.
It’s a “one-of-a-kind” with some flair – its custom lace-work dash and instrument panel painted the same ‘candy apple red’ as the roof. Mr Baynham had also customised its grille, shortened the side-trim and removed its badges.
He said a lot of car enthusiasts knew of the car, which has featured in many car shows since he bought the car 12 years ago.
Many of them have spread word and pictures of the car since its theft on Twitter and Facebook. Celebrities and media have re-tweeted the messages, sparking tip-off sightings as far away as Canberra on Wednesday night.
However many of the sightings are conflicting, perhaps confusing a “sort of similar” vehicle that Mr Baynham knows of in Victoria.
“I’m not on Facebook and Twitter myself,” Mr Baynham said. “I just have lots and lots of friends in the car scene who put the word out as much as they can.”
The car had been driven to work and parked in the same spot in Dandenong for the past seven years. Up until the past two years, the council-owned car park had been manned, Mr Baynham said.
“I walked to the same spot and there was just broken glass there. I thought no, no. I checked up on the next level but no that’s definitely where I parked it.
“It’s not a good feeling at all.”
Any information to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.