Dr Phil’s Vintage Car Stolen
4 Oct 2012Dr. Phil is usually the one to dole out advise. But this time, it seems that Dr. Phil is the one needing some advice — on how to get his car back.
TMZ reports that his vintage 1957 Chevy convertible, pictured, was stolen from a Burbank, Calif., repair shop. Law enforcement sources told the site that robbers broke into the RODZ auto repair shop in order to swipe the gorgeous wheels.
The classic car, worth at least $80,000 — although some say it’s worth $100,000 — was stolen during a smash hit when the thieves broke into the roll-down door of the repair shop.
“I love the fins, the grille — everything about it,” Dr. Phil told the USA Today. About the theft, he says “You just feel violated.”
Dr. Phil, as he is best-known to most, is a psychologist, TV host, and author. Born Phil McGraw, he got his nickname “Dr. Phil” after being seen on The Oprah Winfrey Show during several episodes in the late 1990s. In 2002, he began hosting his own television show, Dr. Phil, where he answers questions on love, sex, relationships, and more.
The well-known television psychologist is an avid car collector, with a history of owning classic and vintage cars, including his black 1957 Chevy convertible. The 2-door vehicle was brought into the repair shop after he discovered his transmission was having problem. A friend of Dr. Phil’s was working on his car when it refused to start, and Dr. Phil had it picked up from his home.
His beloved car was picked up on a flatbed truck, and never seen again. A few hours after being picked up and dropped off at the repair shop, he got a call saying it had been stolen. The 61-year old television host had spent many hours and money working on the car, including the V8 engine.
Shortly after receiving the call from the repair shop, Dr. Phil reported the theft to the police. Local law enforcement told TMZ that it was known as a “smash job” as the thieves broke into the shop’s rollup door to steal the classic car.
Dr. Phil isn’t the only TV celebrity to have his classic call stolen. We reported in May about the theft of Guy Fieri’s, TV host of Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives show, Lamborghini Spyder Gallardo.
While Dr. Phil keeps most of his classic car collection at his home, he has sold some at auction. This includes two sports cars sold in a 2006 auction. The cars included a 2001 Gemballa Porsche and a 2002 Ferrari 260 Spider; both of which are exotic sports cars and were sold at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction. His 1957 Chevy, however, was perhaps his favorite car in the collection.
The vintage Chevy convertible had been restored, which included modern tires and a satellite radio. But our question is this: Where was the GPS Tracker device?
Had Dr. Phil chosen to install a GPS tracking device, it could have been located within hours of the theft. Instead, Dr. Phil is left wondering whether his pristine car will be shipped overseas.
As of this writing, the vehicle has not been found. The RODZ auto shop is offering a $1000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the thief and the safe return of the vehicle.
Dr. Phil: Please take out advise: Install a GPS tracker device in the rest of your classic cars.
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