<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A grandfather in Sydney's west has had his $120,000 car stolen in front of him by a Facebook Marketplace thief.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Stephen Buttigieg was showing his collector's edition Holden GTS to an apparent "interested buyer" on a Bonnyrigg Heights street.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The well-dressed man, who called himself "Brendon", showed up on foot and was inspecting the car before sliding into the driver's seat.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/midwinter-ball-2025-simon-holmes--court-pays-15000-for-sussan-ley-to-fly-with-climate-change-campaigner/16e25acb-5e7e-43c7-946a-a3d5e1516aef"><strong><span>Surprise bidder pays $15k for potentially uncomfortable flight</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"He said, 'I think your boot light's coming on', and I said, 'Are you sure?'" Buttigieg said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"And he said, 'But it's only when I put it in gear and reverse', and the car was going forward and back a bit. So I said alright, I'll check it." </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Security footage shows the man pop the boot and Buttigieg going to the rear of the car to close it, at which point "Brendon" sped off, leaving Buttigieg in shock. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/bonnyrigg-heights-holden-gts-stolen-by-facebook-marketplace-thief/9392527c-bdf5-4879-a101-fb7d05e06136" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I just froze, and I couldn't believe that he'd done that," he said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Like he was such a nice person, he said he worked in a car yard, that he's got money." </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The car was a parked nest egg: it was always locked away in a garage and had never been driven, and as a result it was not insured.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Buttigieg only hoped to sell the car as a way to help his sons buy their first home.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"People work hard, you try to help your kids, and this is what happens," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The thief has been reported to police, with detectives on the hunt for the suspect and the high-performance car.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727"><em><strong><span>Apple App Store</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1"><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>.</span></strong></em></div></div>