By Joe Bachman

The prohibited sale of a legendary race car has led investigators to the whereabouts and recovery of an iconic vehicle.

The historic “Purple Knight” Ford Mustang driven by legendary stock car racer Dick Trickle went missing this week, but police say the car has been recovered. 50 year-old Patrick J. Langreck, of Marshfield, sold the vehicle in 2013, and while he had access to the purple knight, he was never given permission to sell it by the Trickle family.

The original owners of the car after Trickle, Leslie and Kenneth Langreck, did not realize that the car was missing for potentially years, and reported it missing only after intending to restore the vehicle this week.

Police found the car in Grand Rapids, though they suspect the stolen car had been previously stored in Richfield.

The district attorney plans to file charges against Langreck for selling the car without permission.