A grandfather from the western suburbs of Sydney had the unfortunate experience of having his $120,000 car stolen right before his eyes by a thief he met through Facebook Marketplace.

Stephen Buttigieg was showcasing his collector’s edition Holden GTS to someone who seemed to be a potential buyer on a street in Bonnyrigg Heights.

The man, who was smartly dressed and introduced himself as “Brendon,” arrived on foot and began examining the car before slipping into the driver’s seat.

“He said, ‘I think your boot light’s coming on’, and I said, ‘Are you sure?'” Buttigieg said.

“And he said, ‘But it’s only when I put it in gear and reverse’, and the car was going forward and back a bit. So I said alright, I’ll check it.”

Security footage shows the man pop the boot and Buttigieg going to the rear of the car to close it, at which point “Brendon” sped off, leaving Buttigieg in shock.

“I just froze, and I couldn’t believe that he’d done that,” he said.

“Like he was such a nice person, he said he worked in a car yard, that he’s got money.”

The vehicle was a prized possession: it was always kept securely in a garage and had never been driven. Consequently, it wasn’t insured.

Buttigieg intended to sell the car as a means of assisting his sons in purchasing their first home.

“People work hard and try to support their kids, and then this happens,” he lamented.

The thief has been reported to police, with detectives on the hunt for the suspect and the high-performance car.