On Monday, we learned that Ram’s “Bucking Hemi” mechanical bull attraction went missing from the company’s Roadkill Nights event stand in Pontiac, Michigan over the weekend. Now, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department is calling “bullsh*t” on the whole alleged caper. According to the Detroit Free Press, the $34,000 custom prop wasn’t stolen by local thieves after all; one of the company’s event contractors simply loaded it up and drove off with it without telling anybody.
Was it all a stunt? So far, Ram’s spokespeople insist it wasn’t, couching it instead as a misunderstanding. The contractor who took the bull did not come forward for nearly 72 hours after it vanished, leading representatives to believe it had been pilfered by outside actors.
According to Ram, the bull made it all the way to North Carolina before the contractor saw media reports that it had gone missing. It was returned to the company early Thursday morning.
“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who rallied behind us and worked to bring RAM’s Bucking HEMI home,” Ram’s Noah Thanos told The Drive early Thursday. “Notably, we are extremely grateful and sincerely appreciate the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office’s assistance in this matter.”
“After 67 hours of uncertainty and a 1,200-mile roundtrip journey to and from North Carolina , Bucking HEMI has returned home,” he said. “It was mistakenly taken by one of the show contactors [sic], who realized the error after media coverage brought it to their attention.”
On Monday, we were told that what began as a bold symbol of horsepower and rebellion had “taken an unfortunate turn.”
“On the evening of Saturday, August 9, at approximately 9:45 pm, following a Ram-sponsored event at Roadkill Nights in Michigan, the Bucking Hemi was stolen during disassembly.” a company spokesperson told The Drive via email. “A formal report has been filed with local police, and an investigation is underway.”
The company went wide with the news, even mocking up digital “missing” flyers to distribute via social media.
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Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard suggested that the department might pursue Stellantis for filing a false report after department resources were “wasted” investigating the reported theft.
Considering the “Hemi” bull cost about as much as a Dodge Hornet, we imagine everybody involved is at least somewhat relieved by its recovery, but it may end up costing Ram a lot more than $34,000 when all is said and done.
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Byron is a contributing writer and auto reviewer with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories.
