By: Darcie Thom

Most car enthusiasts and video-gamers would know that a Nissan Skyline GT-R is not your average car. This is a foreign performance car that is rarely seen in North America.

It could be said that Shaun Ironside, formally of Kipling, is an avid collector of exotic performance cars, such as Porsches, Mercedes-Benzes and a 1991 Nissan Skyline GT-R that he had imported from Japan. These are to name only a few of the cars that Heritage Auto Sales, a specialty dealership in Calgary, AB. inventories.

On March 20th a man in his early 20’s entered the dealership with the intent to test drive the Skyline but was unable to because the car wasn’t running properly due to problems with the battery. Ironside agreed to call this man, “Terrance”, when the battery had been swapped. When Ironside later tried to contact the man, the number he dialed was in-active.

Apparentely, “Terrance” was in an accident with his old GT-R, causing him to lose two fingers on his left hand. The insurance paid $17,000 on the car and he was looking to replace his GT-R immediately.

On March 26th, the same man returned to Heritage Auto Sales to test drive the Skyline. Unfortunately, Ironside had been caught up with two customers and could not take “Terrance” for a drive. In a classic case of kindness, he handed the keys over to him and asked for him to be quick because he needed the plates for another car.

Fifteen minutes went by and the men had still not returned from their test drive. Needless to say, Ironside had an uneasy feeling, he also knew that some people take the cars to have them inspected. “It’s kind of hard to report a vehicle stolen 15 minutes after it’s not come back from a test drive,” says Ironside.

Later that evening, when there was still no sight of the Skyline, Ironside reported the car stolen to the police. He described the dark grey Nissan Skyline, and the driver as a white male in his early 20’s, heavy set, about 5-foot-6, with missing ring and middle fingers on his left hand.

That evening, Ironside went on to Beyond.ca, a Website for Canadian Car enthusiasts, to spread the word of his stolen import. He reported the same information on the forum, along with pictures and offered a cash reward, still not completely convinced that he would ever see the car again. Little did he know that a complete stranger would change everything.

The following day, James Lynch, a forum moderator, was leaving a shopping mall when he spotted the Skyline following behind his BMW M3. He recalled seeing the report on the Website and decided to keep with the Skyline through traffic. He pulled up beside the Skyline at the stoplight and gave a “rock-out” sign to the driver. When the driver responded back, Lynch took a picture. When the suspect realized that Lynch was on to him, he took off. Lynch managed to chase him for a bit and then called the police.

Lynch posted a response and picture to Ironside, explaining what had happened to him that day. Several other members took interest and reported sightings of the car. Thursday, March 27th, “Numi”, a forum member, spotted the suspect’s car parked on a residential street and posted the last seen location on the forum for Ironside. On March 28th Dj_Stylez, another member of the forum, posted a message for Ironside stating that he had found the Skyline parked at a residence and had blocked the Skyline in with one of the members Acura Integra, so the vehicle could not leave. Ironside met with the forum members to see the car parked and the residents inside the house. He immediately called the police.

“A lot of people have called from pretty much around the world, but business hasn’t changed much”, says Ironside.

Shaun Ironside is the son of Harley and Carol Ironside, of Kipling. He graduated from the Kipling High School in 1998, completed BSc Engineering at the University of Calgary, and presently owns Envision Auto Corp.For further information please contact: (www.envisionauto.com)