New low for Portland as one-of-a-kind 1970s racecar is stolen while being sold to raise cash for co-owner's Parkinson's treatment

Published: 19:46, 18 August 2026 | Updated: 19:48, 18 August 2026 A Portland senior had his one-of-a-kind 1970s race car stolen while trying to sell it to raise money to treat his Parkinson's disease. Marvin Price was hoping to use funds from the sale of the 1974 sprint car to cover the $144,000 a year cost of treating the progressive neurological disease. Price, 83, listed the car for sale along with his friend and co-owner Tom Hanna, also 83.  The vehicle was built by legendary car builder Grant King and bought by the owners two decades ago. Over the last 20 years, Price and Grant invested a further $70,000 and had listed the car for sale for $40,000. However, their advert attracted the wrong kind of attention and on August 9 two thieves stole the vehicle from a property in Sellwood, Hanna told KOIN. He explained that the thieves cut locks and broke in to where the car was being stored in a trailer which they hooked up to a vehicle and drove away with, smashing through a fence as they fled. The friends had also listed the trailer for sale and are hoping their property will be returned. Tom Hanna and Marvin Price had listed their 1974 sprint car for $39,995. The friends were planning to use the money to help pay for Price's Parkinson's treatment   But the car was stolen by two thieves on August 9 who broke into a property in Sellwood, near Portland, and stole the vehicle 'Just leave it someplace so we can pick it up,' Hanna said. To Hanna, the loss is more than financial as the car was a symbol of his 70 years of friendship with Price and a way to help care for his friend. The public is being asked to report the car or trailer to police if it is seen. Hanna and Price purchased the car from a man who bought the vehicle from Grant King himself. King is considered one of the greatest designers and mechanics in Indianapolis 500 history, according to the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame. 'Grant built it using two damaged Indy cars built by the Gene White Racing Shop,' reads the listing for Hanna and Price's car. 'Using parts of these cars, he built a sprint car with four-wheel independent suspension, a two-speed transaxle, a clutch, a starter and Hillebrand cast-magnesium wheels marked Lotus.' The trailer, racing tires, spare parts and tools were included in their nearly $39,950 asking price. The vintage car was inside this trailer which was also stolen during the raid The vintage racecar was built by Grant King, considered one of the greatest designers and mechanics in Indianapolis 500 history  Sellwood is roughly five miles from downtown Portland, which has suffered a decline in recent years, with tent encampments and drug use becoming increasingly visible. The downturn was accelerated by the state's experiment with drug decriminalization, which reduced possession of heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine to the equivalent of a parking ticket. What was meant as a progressive reform instead fueled an overdose crisis and entrenched open-air drug markets across the city. By 2023, Oregon counted more than 20,000 homeless people, nearly two-thirds of them unsheltered, as overdose deaths surged. The state has since reversed course, recriminalizing hard-drug possession, but downtown Portland has struggled to recover.