A high-profile car event in Southern California took a shocking turn when a $150,000 custom Chevy Camaro ZL1 was stolen from automotive influencer Autumn Spooner. The vehicle, which inspired a new die-cast model by Jada Toys, vanished while on display in the parking lot of South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa on Friday evening.
Spooner, who flew in from Arizona to celebrate the launch of the miniature replica of her real-life Camaro, received the devastating news mid-flight. “I was literally on the plane when I got the call that my Camaro was stolen,” she said in a video posted to Instagram late Friday. “This was supposed to be such a proud moment.”
The Camaro had been entrusted to Jada Toys for the promotional event, but according to Spooner’s spokesperson, there was no formal agreement in place regarding liability.
The theft appears to have been carefully orchestrated. Spooner later shared updates via her Instagram Stories, showing footage of the car reportedly being driven eastbound on the 91 Freeway near the 57 interchange. The vehicle had already been stripped of its purple wrap and license plate—though notably, her Instagram handle remained visible on the car.
The stolen vehicle was the centerpiece of Jada Toys’ Pink Slips die-cast collection, a 1:24 scale model set to launch for pre-order on Saturday. Despite the drama, the $25 model sold out online by early morning.
Spooner, who boasts over half a million followers across social platforms, is known for her high-performance car builds. In addition to the stolen ZL1, her garage includes a BMW G80 M3 and a BMW E36 M3.
As of now, the stolen Camaro has not been recovered, and Spooner is urging the public to report any sightings. The incident remains under investigation.
