Having a prized car stolen is every enthusiast’s worst nightmare. All you can do is call the police, file a report and cross your fingers.
Not so for Californian Chris Burk, who hopes Internet publicity and a $25,000 reward will up his odds of recovering his heavily customized 1989 Porsche 911 Turbo slant-nose convertible. The car was stolen in June from his driveway in the Los Angeles suburb of La Canada-Flintridge.
“The police are good at what they do, but they are very busy,” Burk says. “To them, it’s just a car.”
Rather than stand pat, Burk created a website, stolenporsche911turbo.com, and posted links about his beloved 911 on all the major Porsche owner forums. It’s a trend that is catching on, particularly for owners of rare and/or customized cars.
The ability to instantly reach thousands of fellow enthusiasts with the click of a mouse is prompting more victims of auto theft to do the same. Online owner club communities can be very close-knit, and fellow members are usually more than willing to help.
Lynn Boyd took to the web when her late father’s 1955 Chevrolet 210 Post was boosted about two months ago from her property in Pinson, Alabama. Boyd sent postings to various websites (including autoweek.com) detailing the car’s unique features, like the silver bucket seats and substantial chrome trim.
At press time Burk had not located his stolen 911 Turbo, but thanks to the web, he has already received numerous leads. Boyd’s car also remains missing.
“I’m following up on every lead,” Burk says. “I’m going to let everyone in the world know it’s missing.”
