1926 Ford Model T taken from property
Classic car has ‘sentimental value,’ police say
Hamilton police are appealing to the public for help finding a rare 1926 Ford Model T car stolen from a Flamborough property this spring.
The green- and-black classic car, considered relatively rare, was nabbed from a storage area sometime between mid-March and June 20 — likely with the help of a trailer.
“The vehicle could be driveable, but it likely needed to be trailered,” said police spokesperson Const. Jerome Stewart. “It has a top speed of something like 40 (m.p.h.), so it’s not something you could make a quick getaway in, you know?”
Stewart said the man who owns the vehicle does not want himself or his property to be identified, which limits the information police can give out about the location or timeline of the theft.
“I can say this vehicle had great sentimental value to the gentleman. It was something that was supposed to be passed down to family,” he said. “His concern is not at all about the dollars and cents involved.”
Stewart acknowledged the “difficult” three-month timeline over which the theft could have occurred.
But he said investigators hope members of the public might recall seeing the distinctive vehicle being transported on an open trailer in or out of the city. The car has wide “whitewall” tires and white spoke rims.
Henry Ford originally envisioned the Model T as a low-cost vehicle affordable for the average worker, resulting in more than 15 million “Tin Lizzies” being massproduced between 1913 and 1927.
Stewart said it is possible local classic car buffs might have seen this particular Model T displayed at area car shows or other events.
“We are hoping it is still local, but if needed we will expand the search,” he said, noting the United States likely provides a larger market for the “unique” but not overly expensive stolen vehicle.
“It is not that easy a thing to sell . ... You can’t drive it around (locally) or show it off, because people will ask questions,” Stewart said. “In terms of financial value, it’s not huge.”
Classic car websites advertise similar vehicles in U.S. dollars anywhere from $11,000 and $40,000.
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call Det. George Gallant at 905-5463820.