The Grinch almost stole Christmas from an East Bay family. A group of thieves raided a business in Benicia and drove away with 51 years of memories and something that still connected Michael Dodge to his late father: a 1973 Chevrolet Corvette.
Some people name their cars, but for the Dodge family, the Corvette holds a special place in their hearts.
“She’s like a member of the family,” Gwynneth Dodge said. “I always joke with Michael: We could be homeless and we would still have that car.”
It was a car that Michael Dodge’s father bought brand new, without his wife’s permission. It contains decades of memories, from crossing the school pick-up line to Michael’s senior prom. So when he got the call from the police on Sunday that his Benicia business had been broken into, the first thing he did was look for his prized possession.
“When I came through the door there and looked out into the warehouse and it was empty, I think I just said ‘No!’ shouted,” Michael Dodge said. “Just absolute horror.”
After the initial shock, his wife and daughter organized a social media campaign to bring their ‘Old Lady Blue’ home. The messages were shared and reposted by friends and eventually Michael received the phone call that led him to his car on Tuesday morning.
“He just says, ‘Hey Michael,’ I’m like, yeah,” Dodge said. ‘He says we have your car. And I said everyone says that.’
Michael received numerous calls from others claiming they would give up his car in exchange for cash, with some even asking for more than a million dollars. But he asked two questions to ensure the caller really had Old Lady Blue: to verify the mileage and to describe the valve covers on the engine, which the caller did.
“I thought, ‘It’s over,’” Dodge said. “This nightmare is over.”
The caller ultimately came from the Colfax area. CHP officers located the car and towed it to a safe location.
“We drove to the Colfax area and it was at a tow yard,” Dodge said. “We drive up to the fence and she’s just sitting there in the woods. It was a bit sad.”
The Corvette had some scratches, but Michael says it’s nothing that can’t be repaired. He’s not sure if any arrests will be made. The most important thing for him is that Old Lady Blue is back home.
“It’s like a Christmas miracle,” Gwynneth Dodge said. ‘This is the best Christmas present we could ever get. We don’t need anything else. We’re done.’
