Some classic cars are described as explosively popular, but this is almost universally used as a metaphor. However, one mechanic from Rosenburg, Oregon, found that this could have been literally true while working on a 1937 Chevrolet.

Hidden away in the glove box of this vintage vehicle it was discovered that a previous owner had secreted a hand grenade, the exterior of which had rusted with age.

More worrying was the fact that the pin was still intact and a sealed hole on the bottom suggested that it could still be live, which encouraged garage owner, Marvin Devoogd, to take the grenade away from his establishment and notify the local police.

A bomb squad was called in and the grenade was destroyed, although according to police, it was actually empty and inactive, aside from dust and dirt gathered over its years inside the classic Chevy.

Work on the restoration of the vehicle will continue and it is certainly going to have a story attached to it which most owners of classic cars would envy.

The unsurprising advice from the police was that anything which looks suspiciously like an explosive, regardless of its age or condition, should be treated with care and made known to authorities.