A trio of classic cars has been stolen from Lauderdale County in Mississippi, with one of the vintage vehicles already cropping up as a burnt out shell, undoing years of hard work to restore it to its former glory.

The remaining unrecovered vehicles are a Chevy Camaro Z28 built in 1971, and an Oldsmobile Delta 88, which dates from 1975. The theft occurred late on Sunday evening.

A police spokesperson said that these classic cars will be difficult to disguise because of their rarity and, most of all, their mint condition, having been painstakingly restored by their current owner.

Police are uncertain as to whether the burnt-out vehicle was deliberately set ablaze or whether its combustion was spontaneous. Older motors are more prone to problems that might cause fires, although the authorities have yet to determine the cause in this instance.

Classic cars are becoming a popular target for thieves, with recent reports indicating that movie star, John Travolta had a priceless vehicle stolen whilst it was parked outside a Jaguar showroom in California.

Hopefully, this case will be resolved satisfactorily for the victim, although there is currently no word as to whether the police have leads that could result in arrests.