Stolen Amelia Earhart Car Found In El Sereno

ORANGE (CBSLA) -- Amelia Earhart went missing in 1937, and nearly 80 years after her mysterious disappearance, a car that once belonged to the aviation pioneer was reported stolen.

The car was found on Monday night on the corner of Lombardy and Alhambra in El Sereno. It was towed by law enforcement so it could be returned to its original owner.

The car was found thanks to a a CBS2 viewer tip. The viewer saw the story we aired and called the LAPD to take a look to see if it was the car.

Jim Somers, the man from the city of Orange who now owns the car, said the green and black 1932 Hudson Essex Terraplane was being housed in a trailer in an industrial complex in Orange when it was stolen Friday.

Somers told CBS2's Michele Gile the trailer had been secured with a safety lock to hopefully prevent the car from being stolen.

The owner had transported the car out of his shop on W. Collins Avenue to the industrial center in preparation for a car show Saturday.

The distinct vehicle is estimated to be worth between a quarter and a half-million-dollars. Only 14 of the models still exist.