The owner of a vintage car stolen from a classic motor show says the theft “has been like losing a right arm”.

Brian Cox’s green Triumph TR4a was left in the public car park at Knebworth House while he attended the Knebworth Classic Motor Show and Vintage Fair on August 24.

An appeal to find the soft-top car – worth £20,000 – has since been shared by thousands of people on Facebook, including in France, Germany, Cyprus and South Africa, but despite sightings in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire the vehicle has yet to be tracked down by police.

The 82-year-old, who has owned the car for the past 44 years, said: “It’s awful when I walk into the garage and see a big empty space there – it has been like losing my right arm. I’m devastated.

“It was my main car back in the day, and these days it came out for special occasions.

“It’s a striking car and people always comment when they see it. I would keep it indoors in the winter and bring it out in better weather.”

Brian is now using a Vauxhall Corsa, which he bought earlier this year, to get about.

Herts police have confirmed that the Triumph, which has a registration of JLM8 00D, was locked and parked with other vehicles at the time.

Anyone with information about the theft of the car or its whereabouts should call police on non-emergency number 101.