Classic cars are often targeted by thieves looking to make a quick buck and sometimes they are difficult to recover and reunite with their rightful owners.

However, one vintage Chevy in Kentucky has avoided such a fate, thanks to an identifying mark applied to it in the 1970s.

The 1955 Chevrolet 210, owned by A.D. Henderson, was taken back in October and police had been on the lookout for this distinctive vehicle to no avail.

It was not until this month that a concerned local, who knew about the theft and was familiar with the vehicle itself, saw it up for sale in Millersburg.

The tipster, who remained anonymous, went and spoke to the garage manager about the vehicle he suspected to be the stolen Chevy and was surprised to hear that a private seller was hoping to get $12,000 for it, much less than such a well preserved vehicle warranted.

On closer inspection, an insurance sticker dating from the 1970s confirmed to the source that this was indeed the stolen auto and he contacted the police.

An ongoing investigation means that there is still information to surface concerning the events which befell the vehicle.