1964 Chevelle Malibu's Unbelievable Tale

author: FutureCar Staff    

After its appearance in the movie Pulp Fiction, the red 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu continued to capture the attention of fans. Many people, even those who aren't car enthusiasts, are curious about the whereabouts of famous movie cars. Quentin Tarantino, the director of Pulp Fiction, was so taken by the classic Chevy that he decided to make it his personal vehicle.

Tarantino acquired the car in 1989 from a friend after selling the script for True Romance. However, he never actually drove it and instead kept it in storage. But the story of this iconic movie car doesn't end there.

What most people don't know is that the Chevelle Malibu was stolen from the Pulp Fiction movie set in 1994. This theft was quite audacious considering the presence of security on the set. Despite being a well-documented car, it remained missing for several years, leading some to speculate that it had been dismantled and sold for parts.

The news finally broke in 2013 that the famous Chevelle Malibu had been found after being missing for 19 years. It was discovered by a San Bernardino County Sheriff's Deputy in Victorville, California. The car was being stripped by two men when the deputy ran the vehicle identification number (VIN) and discovered that it was registered to a different vehicle in Oakland. Another account suggests that the deputy simply spotted the car in a driveway. Either way, the fact that it was located after all those years is quite remarkable.

An investigation revealed that the VIN on the car's dashboard had been cloned to match a car registered in Oakland. However, upon inspecting the VIN stamped into the frame of the Victorville car, authorities confirmed that it was indeed Tarantino's Chevrolet.

Although the car was found, the mystery of what happened to it during those 19 years remained. It was determined that the man who had the car had no involvement in the theft. Unfortunately, he had unknowingly purchased a stolen vehicle and had spent thousands of dollars restoring it, only to lose it without any compensation. This highlights the unfortunate reality that crimes like VIN cloning often have multiple victims.

The man who had Tarantino's Chevelle Malibu, Bill Hemenez, had been proudly displaying the car at various car shows in California. He had bought it from a private seller in 2001 and was shocked to discover that it had been stolen. Hemenez had diligently restored the car, but he not only lost the Chevy, he also received no reimbursement for the restoration costs or the insurance he had paid for it. Despite this, Tarantino never reached out to him in any way. While the director is not legally obligated to do so, some believe that a simple gesture of gratitude would have been appropriate. However, considering that this incident occurred over 7 years ago, it seems unlikely that Tarantino will ever acknowledge Hemenez's care of his vehicle.

Sources: CBS News, CBS Los Angeles, The Independent, Yahoo Autos

FutureCar Staff