‘It’s a very special car’: Police search for stolen classic car that was at Run to the Sun
A North Carolina company is desperate for the return of a 1970 Dodge Challenger, which was stolen this weekend at a Myrtle Beach hotel.
The vehicle was one of the more than 3,000 vehicles attending this weekend’s Run to the Sun car and truck show.
“The owner John (Hotchkis) is sick,” said James Helms, head of marketing for Hotchkis Sport Suspension.
Myrtle Beach Police are investigating the theft of the white 2001 Ford F350 Super Duty Truck with a 22-foot white Haulmark enclosed trailer that contained the yellow 1970 Dodge Challenger.
The vehicles were last seen between 9 p.m. March 18 and 9 a.m. March 19, a Facebook post by police said.
Police are asking for the community’s help in finding the vehicles.
The theft happened at the Fairfield Marriott, 3100 block of Oleander Drive, near Broadway at the Beach, Helms said.
Helms said the Challenger is a flagship vehicle for the company, which is based out of Mooresville, N.C.
“It’s been with the company for a very long time,” Helms said. “(It’s) one of the bigger builds we’ve done here.”
The Challenger is worth more than $150,000, Helms said. There is even a Hot Wheels toy car version of the Challenger. “It’s a very special car,” Helms said.
Helms said they are trying to find anyone who has security feeds that might have caught the theft. The hotel didn’t have its cameras running at the time, Helms said.
Michael Leaventon, organizer of the Run to the Sun event, said it was unfortunate that the vehicle was stolen. He said he was glad that the vehicle was not stolen at the event, which has overnight security protecting the more than 56 acres.
Leaventon said they had more than 1,500 vehicles that were left there overnight. The event barricades all the vehicles at night, he said.
This year there were 3,328 vehicles registered for the event, Leaventon said.
The vehicles’ license plates are:
White Ford 2001 F350 Super Duty Truck with a North Carolina tag #NZ3913
White 22-foot Haulmark enclosed trailer with a North Carolina tag #GYB442
Yellow 1970 Dodge Challenger with a California tag #6EML501
Anyone with information about the location of the vehicles, are asked to contact the Myrtle Beach Police Department at 843-918-1382, reference report #23-004145.
