A San Antonio man has been left heartbroken after his classic 1966 Chevy Impala Super Sport was stolen, before he had had a chance to restore it to its former glory, according to Kens5.com.

Joe Hernandez had owned the car for almost three decades and had been waiting to save up enough cash to restore it from its dilapidated state, so that this piece of American history could hit the roads proudly once more.

The Chevy Impala was in fact in the middle of being restored by local autoshop owner, Manuel Garcia, although it seems that his intentions were a little less than scrupulous.

It is reported that when Mr Hernandez went back to the shop to check on the progress of his car, the vehicle and indeed any sign that the business was still operational had completely vanished.

Mr Garcia had allegedly skipped town and police are still looking into the exact events which surround his disappearance and the loss of Mr Hernandez's classic car.

There is still hope that the car might be returned to its rightful owner, although at the time of writing, there is still no word on its whereabouts as yet.