BERKELEY ST — Talk about greased lightning.
It took only 10 minutes for actor John Travolta to become a victim, his vintage Mercedes-Benz 280 SL swiped by a car thief Sunday afternoon while he was visiting a nearby Jaguar dealership, police said.
Travolta, 57, who played bad boy Danny Zuko in the cult classic “Grease,” parked the 1970 sports car in the 1400 block of Berkeley Street. When he returned, he found only an empty parking space, said Santa Monica Police Sgt. Richard Lewis.
Travolta went back to the dealership and waited for police. There were reportedly no witnesses.
Lewis said Travolta told investigators the car was worth roughly $35,000, however, that model Mercedes can sell for as much as $100,000.
No word yet if the thief intentionally targeted Travolta.
On top of his love of airplanes, the actor is also an avid car collector.
In addition to owning a Rolls-Royce, Mercedes SL 500 and Jaguar XJ6, Travolta counts his classic Thunderbirds among his favorite vehicles.
“I have a ‘55, ‘56 and ‘57 Thunderbird — American Fords in the great old tradition,” he told the Times of London in 2007. “I love the fact that they could achieve speed and distance with such style. I don’t use them for long journeys any more, but to just enjoy the drive.”
kevinh@www.smdp.com
