Car that once belonged to Amelia Earhart was found three days after being reported missing
- A car that once belonged to Amelia Earhart was stolen
- The 1932 Hudson Essex Terraplane went missing from LA
- Thankfully, cops recovered the vehicle just days later
Published on Oct 21, 2024 at 3:58 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Oct 21, 2024 at 3:58 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A vintage vehicle that once belonged to aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart was discovered by police three days after it was stolen.
During her lifetime, Earhart set numerous records, including being the first female aviator to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean.
However, tragedy struck in 1937 during an attempt to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world.
Earhart was flying between Lae and Howland Island on a Lockheed Electra 10e when she and navigator Fred Noonan lost contact with control.
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A Hudson Essex Terraplane that belonged to Amelia Earhart was stolen
Neither she nor Fred have been heard from since and the plane has never been recovered.
The mysterious disappearance has prompted plenty of speculation, rumors, and theories in the decades since.
Earlier this year, there were even claims that the wreckage had been discovered.
And in 2018, authorities in Los Angeles were quick to close the case of a missing 1932 Hudson Essex Terraplane that once belonged to Earhart.
The owner of the vehicle, a man named Jim Somers, had transported it from his shop in Orange, Los Angeles, to an industrial complex ahead of an upcoming car show.
The car, which was one of only 14 left in existence, had been locked up in a trailer when it was stolen.
Cops were able to recover the vehicle days later
Thankfully, just days after its disappearance someone saw a news story about the stolen vehicle and called the police.
The Essex Terraplane was then discovered on a street in El Sereno, LA, and returned to its rightful owner.
“The owner was very thankful to get his piece of history returned to him,” cops told Inside Edition at the time.
The green-and-black Terraplane is estimated to be worth around half a million dollars.
“I can’t express how happy I am about this,” Somers told KCBS.
“I am thankful the detectives got right on it and found this in four days… I can’t say enough.”
The Essex Terraplane – later rebranded as simply Terraplane – was launched in 1932 with the help of Earhart and she was given one of the cars to keep.
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Across her career she's covered a wide variety of topics, including celebrity, cryptocurrency, politics, true crime and just about everything in between.
