An abandoned 1986 Ford Fairlane which has been parked at Melbourne‘s Northcote Plaza Shopping Centre for at least a decade has been shrouded in mystery – until now.
The dusty car has become a local legend after being in the same spot for longer than most people can recall.
“I’ve always wondered who owns that car because it’s actually been sitting there for a long time,” one shopper said.
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“We started the Northcote Plaza Appreciation Society 14 years ago, and it was there,” society co-founder Laura said.
It is a cob-webbed mystery that has sparked theories on the popular Northcote Plaza Appreciation Society Facebook page.
“Old skool Mafia. Check the boot for a body,” one person wrote.
“Think it’s too expensive to move. A tow truck won’t fit in there,” another said.
The Fairlane is remarkably intact for something that’s been at the plaza as long as it has and it is understood someone even comes along and gives it a clean occasionally.
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So who owns the car?
9News has learnt Northcote Plaza management lets the Ford remain as a tribute to a shopper who died more than 15 years ago.
His son asked to leave the car there in honour of his late dad.
The car will, therefore, stay as a permanent fixture at the shopping centre.
It is just one of the many things locals have come to love about the decidedly odd and retro plaza, which is also home to a thriving DVD and CD store and not one but two Coles supermarkets.
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