Thieves in Nova Scotia's Colchester County may have gotten more than they bargained for after a vehicle trailer was stolen — with a $100,000 race car inside.

The white Victory trailer, about half the length of an average school bus, was parked at an unsecured lot at Vantage Motors, the Volkswagen dealership just off Highway 102 in Truro, when it went missing Friday evening.

RCMP say the trailer was driven off the lot at 8:42 p.m., turned right onto Robie Street in Lower Truro, went under the 102 overpass, and then was driven off in an unknown direction.

Extensive custom work

The trailer and its precious cargo are owned by Matthew Trivett, a 28-year-old who lives in Quispamsis, N.B.

Trivett, who travels the world as a video-game commentator for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, is currently in Romania and was unable to speak with CBC News.

But Trivett's father, John Trivett, said the BMW E46 M3 GT3 was a street car that was converted to a race car through extensive custom work over four months early this year.

The car had just undergone extensive custom work to convert it from a street car to a race car. (Matthew Trivett/Facebook)

"They built quite a monster of a car," Trivett said. "They built a Mona Lisa. The car was getting a lot of notice from local racers who thought it was quite something."

Matthew Trivett just finished having the car built in mid-May and had only raced it twice when it went missing, his father said.

"It was exciting to be able to be 28 and make enough money in your career to be able to squander 100 grand, right?" said John Trivett.

"He built this as a diversion from a busy career, and now it's just been stolen, so it's really mind-boggling."

Car likely a surprise to thieves

Matthew Trivett had just raced the car one week ago at the Atlantic Motorsport Park near Shubenacadie, N.S., and decided to leave it at a friend's dealership rather than haul it back to New Brunswick.

John Trivett said he believes the thieves didn't know what was inside.

"We think it was just somebody stealing a trailer," he said. "It was easy to access and we just think somebody had seen it there and went back at an appropriate time and decided they'd make it theirs."

The stolen Victory trailer was last seen at 8:42 p.m. on June 30 in the Truro area. (Matthew Trivett/Facebook)

Trivett said the dealership's owner was there at 8:15 p.m. and came back at 8:52 p.m. Surveillance video shows what appears to be a dark van towing the trailer — a vehicle that was likely a poor fit for the job, Trivett said.

"It looks like it's a van, like a V6 van, and that trailer's 8,500 pounds. That van's not going very far with that trailer, not without blowing up."

10K reward

Trivett believes the car is still in the province. He said if the thief tries to sell it for parts, he or she will be out of luck, as the parts are unique and would be identifiable. And it's highly unlikely the thieves would have made it successfully into the United States with the car, Trivett said.

"It wouldn't get across the border, because when you take a car trailer across the border they do a full scan of it, and if you don't have full documentation, you're not going anywhere."

The Trivetts are offering a $10,000 reward for the return of the car.

The trailer, which is worth about $7,500, is relatively new, does not have much chrome plating, and has elliptical-style LED brake lights on the frame rather than the door. The trailer had a New Brunswick licence plate with the number TRC 647.

Anyone with information about the trailer or car is asked to contact the RCMP.