'I hope it died happy'

Kaitaia woman Jenni Clarke was in love with her 1991 Mitsubishi Proton car. She had paid $1500 for it, "$25 a week forever," and once told its previous owners that they should have asked for more.

Despite its age it had never missed a beat, but now it's at a wrecker's yard, where it was towed at her expense, after it was stolen and damaged beyond repair.

It had still had plenty of grunt when it was taken from outside her house, Jenni said, and her only hope was that it "died happy".

The thieves had been doing burnouts in it before they crashed it into a drain, possibly rolling it, in Clough Road, south of Kaitaia, so hopefully it did, she added.

To the police it was just another unlawful taking of another car, but Jenni, who didn't even know it had been taken when the police phoned her at 5.30 on Friday morning to say they had found it, had loved it almost as a member of the family.

It had never failed a warrant of fitness test (the most recent completed 13 hours before it was taken), although on one occasion it had needed a $1.50 light bulb, it cost "nothing" to maintain and run, and it had taken her, her children and countless young gymnasts everywhere they had wanted to go for more years than she could remember.

It probably hadn't been worth much even before it was written off, Jenni said, although she had told the police that with a warrant and rego it would have been worth at least $1000 "in this town". That was what she had paid for the car that was still parked on her lawn last week, probably never to be used again.

It needed major work, probably more than its value, before even contemplating a warrant of fitness, she said, and its computer had died.

"It's a pity they didn't take that one," she said,, adding that both vehicles would now be going to the "Dead Car Company", leaving her, her family and gymnasts carless.

Some of Jenni's friends were as outraged as she was the car had been taken, one saying a woman who had given countless hours to voluntarily instructing young gymnastics deserved better. One said she would be happy to contribute to a fund to help get her back on the road. Anyone who would like to give a little is welcome to do so via the Northland Age.