Stolen Corvette Returns after 42 Years But Owner Won't Get To Keep It

In 2011, indie film "Like Crazy" portrayed two people who are in love but are kept apart because of red tape.

The cast may be slightly different, but the story of Terry Dietrich and her beloved 1972 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is also a romance stalled by bureaucracy, as reported by Motoramic.

Just six months after it was purchased, Dietrich's Corvette Stingray was stolen in Duluth, Ga., more than 42 years ago. But when it was recovered earlier this year, Dietrich still did not get a blissful reunion after decades apart.

Gary Green, a car restorer based in North Carolina, purchased the '72 Corvette earlier this year, assuming he knew its history since the vintage ride had been well known in the neighborhood since 1975.

But when Green ran the car's vehicle identification number, he discovered inconsistencies and reported the incident to the police.

Confirmed as Dietrich's long-missing Stingray, the car was impounded.

Here's where the story gets sad: Dietrich didn't fully own the vehicle when it was stolen and likely won't get it back due to North Carolina DMV regulations.

Because it was financed and insured through Allstate, Dietrich didn't have total ownership of the Corvette, meaning that the company that provided the loan held the car's title. Allstate in turn received the Corvette's title when it covered the cost of the stolen vehicle.

The DMV won't release the vehicle to Dietrich without the title, and Allstate and the state of Georgia haven't been able to help given that more than 40 years have passed.

Barring a court order for its release, Dietrich's Corvette will be sent to the police auction block to be sold to the highest bidder. Alas for a car fan who has to see her sweet ride taken from her not once, but twice in 42 years.