One Rockhampton man’s pride and joy, a vintage 1974 Blue Holden HQ LS Monaro has been allegedly stolen from his property, striking a statewide search.
The vintage Monaro was safely stored away on John Moyle’s property at Struck Oil, near Mount Morgan, when on January 11, 2024, the car vanished.
John is the second owner of the original Monaro, and the car is in near perfect, original condition. He purchased the Monaro 40 years ago, and it’s his “Pride and Joy.”
“He is absolutely gutted,” Ben Moyle, John’s son, explained.
“People came onto the property from time to time and offered to buy the car, but no money could buy it off him.”
John Moyle’s classic Monaro stolen in the night from his property. Image supplied
The 1974 Blue Holden HQ LS Monaro is in near perfect, original condition and is the prized possession of John Moyle.
He purchased the car 40 years ago, and religiously drove the vehicle up until the birth of his son, 20 years ago. From then, his father drove it up until his own death, and the Monaro has been parked in its spot since.
Now, 12 years on, John has continued to keep the car in pristine condition, with plans to begin working on it later this year, with his son, Ben Moyle, to turn it into a display club car.
“This was one thing that was keeping him going,” Ben Moyle explained.
In the early hours of January 11, 2024, the Monaro was allegedly removed from John’s property by a white Prado, which was then dumped 10 to 15 minutes down the road.
“Since then, it has been spotted being towed by a black Nissan Patrol,” Ben explained.
“Dad’s been offered prices for it, but thieves do what thieves do.”
The original vinyl roof has allegedly been removed, as too have the registration plates.
John reported the Monaro stolen to the police, and Ben turned to Facebook, however the post has since been shared across Australia, with running commentary in local community groups reporting sightings, including within Cannonvale and Proserpine.
One man, Kent Murray, has been sharing sightings, sharing that the Monaro was seen in Proserpine on Sunday, January 14, but wasn’t yet spotted in Home Hill that evening.
“It sticks out like a sore thumb,” Ben explained.
The Monaro has the original woodgrain dash and is one of allegedly only 400 produced in Australia, with some fetching prices upwards of $150,000.
“We’ve reported to Police, but it seems like we’re doing more work than they are!” Ben said.
“We can watch it travel north on government cameras, but police just aren’t rocking up to catch the guys.
“It’s bullshit.
“This was well planned, by semi-smart people. They had the time and money to take the car and travel north with it. This is not their first rodeo.”
Ben believes it is now being hidden in Home Hill, with the perpetrators waiting for the media coverage to die down to continue their travels or list it for sale.
“The police have received reports of it going north, but they can’t seem to accept the help from the public,” Ben explained.
“It really shows that there are still good communities out there, sharing and helping us bringing the Monaro home.”
The Queensland Police have recently unveiled a new Stolen Vehicle Portal, allowing members of the community to access a comprehensive list of stolen vehicles in Queensland.
Community members are welcome to access the portal here: https://bit.ly/4b2D5N9
And in the case of a spotting of a stolen car, individuals are encouraged to report via Policelink on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The Monaro, seen being towed through Mackay.
The 1974 Holden Monaro stolen in the middle of the night. Photos supplied and Facebook
