Alan Anderson's 1976 Triumph 2.5 was stolen from outside a block of flats in Abbotsford on January 5.
Mr Anderson's wife, June (84), said the car was her husband's ''pride and joy'' and, despite not being able to drive it, he enjoyed tinkering with it and starting up the engine.
Mr Anderson (92) was now in a rest-home but returned to the flat where Mrs Anderson still lived about three times a week and spent a lot of time making sure the car was in good working order.
Now, he was worried about what might have happened to it.
''He didn't like the idea of somebody else getting it and perhaps taking it to pieces.''
She called on anyone with information on the whereabouts of the car to contact police.
''We would like it back, all in one piece,'' she said.
''These things are sent to try you and you can't do much about them because somebody else wants something that you have got.''
Her husband was a fan of Triumphs and the car, which they bought about 20 years ago, was the second Triumph they had owned.
Mr Anderson, speaking from Taieri Court Rest Home, said he was disappointed the car had been stolen as he had been thinking about painting it and still hoped to be able to drive it again one day.
''I didn't think anybody would touch it. It was well locked up,'' he said.
Southern District Command Centre deployment co-ordinator Senior Sergeant Darryl Lennane, of Dunedin, said police were looking for the car.
