The man owned the Porsche for half a century before selling it to pay medical expenses – now he’s in debt and without his car.

Hans Claassen was left with a tough choice in the spring of 1970: buy his dream car, a Porsche 911, or put a ring on his girlfriend’s finger. Hans chose love, and after she accepted, decided to honor his passion by buying him the Porsche.

In 1970, the Porsche cost $8,675. Today, with inflation rates, that would be around $70,000. Claassen was over the moon – after all, he got to have his cake and eat it, too. “I guess she felt like she kind of owed me for that,” Claassen told NBC 7 San Diego.

Hans and his wife made it a point to take the Porsche everywhere. The couple traveled the country in it, took it camping, and made a trove of memories as driver and passenger.

“I really loved that car. I have a lot of memories attached to that car, trips that my wife and I had made together,” continued Claassen. For Hans, the car was a symbol of their love. Both took meticulous care of the car for over 50 years.

Things eventually went south for the Claassens

In 2022, Claassen’s wife developed severe dementia before she passed in September. Hans decided to sell their beloved Porsche to CPR Classics in Fallbrook on consignment to pay for her treatments. The company agreed to buy the car for $135,000, and the shop would earn a 10% commission once the classic Porsche sold. 

Claassen told the outlet several months passed before he received a call from the company’s owner, who promised a buyer was interested. Several more weeks passed without an update or a six-figure check. 

Finally, the CPR Classic’s owner called and told him they needed to title to complete the sale. Hopeful to see the money, he did. Then, radio silence from the “reputable” company.

Claassen recruited Mark MacHale, who volunteers to help seniors investigate and combat scams. MacHale called CPR Classics on his behalf and became suspicious when he hit one roadblock after another. 

The owner agreed to pay Claassen $10,000 as part of a payment plan. However, he wouldn’t see another payment after the initial check cleared. MacHale realized the problem may be bigger than he had the power to handle, and reached out to NBC 7 San Diego. 

The media team dug up interesting things about the company’s past

The investigative team discovered several complaints from countless previous customers, all seeking hundreds and thousands of dollars for cars they sold on consignment to the company only to never see a penny of the sale. 

Other complaints from customers read that they’d bought a car from the company, but never received a title after paying well over six figures for it. Collectively, past customers are actively suing the company for nearly $12 million.

Claassen began to lose hope of ever seeing the money, even with MacHale’s or the news crew’s deep dive and prying questioning. The owner refused a camera or phone interview and gave Claassen’s crew a fake tracking number for the supposed wire transfer for the remainder of the sale.

“I’ve gotten used to the idea that maybe I’ll never see another penny,” said Claassen.

MacHale and the NBC 7 San Diego crew continue to advocate for Claassen. However, after two months, he still has not been paid. The FBI told the outlet they “cannot confirm or deny” any investigations. The DMV wrote they couldn’t comment on “open investigations.”