VW Rabbit lost since 1982 turns up on a fisherman’s fish finder in a Massachusetts lake by accident
Published on May 25, 2026 at 1:42 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on May 25, 2026 at 1:42 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
A remarkable tale has unfolded at a Massachusetts lake, after a 1982 VW Rabbit pickup truck emerged from the water below, in what was an unusual accident.
Reported by the Leicester Police Department on Facebook, the pickup truck was unearthed on April 13th, which was lucky or unlucky for the truck, depending on your viewpoint.
How the truck got into this position isn’t quite known, but it was an unusual discovery, and it took several departments to recover the truck.
Supercar Blondie has contacted the police department to try to uncover the mystery behind this bizarre discovery, with some interesting clues already emerging.
How this 1982 VW Rabbit ended up vanishing for over 40 years
The Leicester Police Department did manage to find some information out as to the truck’s history.
Not only did they identify it as a 1982 VW Rabbit, but they even worked out some of its unusual past.
According to the department, they managed to identify the original owner of the Rabbit.
They confirmed it had been reported stolen in 1982, not long after its owner had actually bought it.
In terms of how it was found, the Leicester Police Department said a fisherman’s sonar device located the truck.
He then got in touch to tell the department that there was a pickup in the lake.
Clearly, the owner had long given up any hope of seeing it again.
Potentially, whoever stole the truck then ditched it soon after, with it somehow ending up in the lake.
What is not clear is what happened to the person who stole it.
Nor is it clear what they attempted to do with the truck.
What condition was the Rabbit in after its recovery in Massachusetts?
The Town of Leicester Fire Department and the District Seven Dive team assisted in the recovery of the VW.
Incredibly, despite being submerged for at least 40 years, the truck was in solid condition.
All the bodywork was in place, and even the interior looked largely complete.
Sadly, we don’t know the engine specs for this dumped pickup truck.
But you have to think that it is highly unlikely to ever run again.
While it will probably be scrapped, we think this VW would make for a fascinating local museum exhibit.
Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
