Stolen VW bus found - after 35 years

A Volkswagen bus, like a fine vintage wine, grows more valuable with time. Reported stolen in 1974, a Volkswagen bus retrieved by customs officials may be worth many times what it was when new.

In a scene reminiscent of the Woody Allen film Sleeper, a Volkswagen bus, stolen more than 35 years ago, has been found in a cargo container. In Sleeper, Allen discovers a VW beetle forgotten in a cave. He explains to Diane Keaton, "It's a 200-year-old Volkswagen..." In moments the car is running. "Ah," says Allen, "They really built these things didn't they?" Yes, Woody they did. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials, the 1965 Volkswagen Bus is in pristine condition and "still running". (One would think it would have run out of gas.) A rare find, it has grown in value over the years. Today it's worth more than at the time of its disappearance. It seems in October CBP officers at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport complex discovered the vehicle in a container bound for the Netherlands. A check of the VIN revealed the vehicle had been reported stolen by the Spokane, Wash., Police Department in July 1974. CBP officers contacted state authorities who confirmed that the 1965 Volkswagen Bus case was still open. The vehicle was released to the local authorities who notified the current owner, an insurance company, about the seizure.