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<< Previous   of   Next >> Associated Press  (click to enlarge) U.S. Customs and Border Protection found this 1965 Volkswagen van that was stolen from Spokane 35 years ago. (click to enlarge) In this undated photo released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a 1965 Volkswagen van that was stolen 35 years ago from Spokane, Wash., is shown after it was recovered on Oct. 19, 2009, from a shipping container at the Port of Los Angeles bound for The Netherlands. (AP Photo/Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection)   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • More jibba-jabba 11/7/09   CONTACT THE HERALD Do you have a news tip? newstips@heraldnet.com | 425.339.3400   Published: Saturday, November 7, 2009 What a trip, man: Long-lost VW turns up like-new Stolen during the 1974 World’s Fair in Spokane, the Microbus has been gone so long that the insurer will need to dig through old paper files to figure out who really owns it. Associated Press SPOKANE — A Volkswagen van stolen 35 years ago in Washington state has been found in a shipping container at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport. Customs agents found the 1965 Microbus on Oct. 19 when they opened a shipping container bound for The Netherlands, The Spokesman-Review newspaper reported. They ran the vehicle identification number and discovered the Volkswagen was listed as stolen. Law officers said the van, which is in great shape, was stolen from an upholstery shop in Spokane on July 12, 1974 — while Spokane was hosting the 1974 World’s Fair. Authorities have not been able to find the original owner, whom they would not identify. The operators of a vehicle restoration business in Arizona were the latest to have possession of the van, which they refurbished and planned to sell overseas, said Michael Maleta, an investigator with the California Highway Patrol. Maleta said the shop is also considered a victim in the case, and he declined to identify it. The van now legally belongs to Allstate Insurance Co., which paid off the original owner’s theft claim back in 1974. The Highway Patrol turned over the van to Allstate this week. Maleta said the van had been restored to pristine condition. “Now it’s probably worth 27 grand,” he said. “It’s a beautiful van.” Megan Brunet, a spokeswoman for Allstate, said the company is looking through old records trying to find the original policy and theft claim. “Trying to find paper files from that far back can be pretty challenging,” she said. The company will likely have the van appraised and go through the process of getting a replacement title before selling it at auction, she said. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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