"I thought it would be fairly safe at the golf course, with plenty of people around, but when I finished at about 4.30pm I came back and there was no car," he said.
"At first I thought somebody was playing a joke and had parked it elsewhere, but somebody saw it being driven out of the carpark about 3.30pm."
He called the police and started spreading the word through his contacts and sightings came in of it being driven on Waipapa Rd, Wiroa Rd, Te Pua Rd and finally towards Kaikohe at 4.30pm that day, accompanied by another vehicle.
Mr Sharp said the thief would have a hard time disposing of the vehicle because of its rarity. It's believed to be the only one in Northland and one of around 20 in the country, with only 3000 made between 1961 and 1966.
"The classic car community will know it and it's easily identified. There are a host of things on it that I would recognise straight away as being my car," he said.
"I put 10 years' work into her then some b*****d decides to do that ..."
Anybody with information on the theft can contact Kerikeri police on 09 4079211 or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.