Yes, that's a New York City cab driving around town and it belongs to a Burnaby car enthusiast

Have you noticed aNew YorkCity taxi driving around downtown Vancouver over the past few months?

Car enthusiast Giovanni Porta, who lives in Burnaby,purchased the cab in Septemberfrom a Facebook Marketplace sellerfor $5,000 US, picked it up in upstate New York and then droveit all the way to Vancouver,riding from dawn to dusk for five days straight.

The 2011 Ford Crown Victoria is one of thousands that once roamed the streets of the Big Apple,designed specifically for the New York City taxi market. Todaythere are only two left roaming NYC streets and they are close to retirement, according to the New York Times.

"You see it in movies, you see it in TV shows, it's a very iconic car," said the 22-year-old.

WATCH | Car enthusiast brings New York taxi cab to Metro Vancouver:

Retired NYC cab spotted around downtown Vancouver

9 months ago

Duration 1:47

Local car enthusiast Giovanni Porta bought a retired New York City taxi cab for $5,000 US, picked it up in upstate New York and drove it all the way back to B.C. As he tells CBC News, some Vancouverites have even tried to flag him down.

The car, which Porta calls "a piece of history," was retired in 2018 after it aged out, according tothe city's regulations. NYC's taxi and limousine commission saysvehicles must be replaced after seven years.The Ford Crown Victorias have mostly been replacedwithnewer car models.

The cab is complete with a functioning meter, a medallion on the front hood,a partition between the front and back seats, decals on the outside, and a taxi light on top. It also hasextra leg room in the back, and rear air conditioning vents that can be controlled by the passenger.

Porta says hespent a couple of thousand dollars inmaintenance on the taxi,meticulously restoring otherfeatures including a credit card terminal, an information monitor screen that would have been used by the driver to connect with dispatch, and a set of New York state licence plates. His next project is to get the TV on the partition running, he says.

"I'm pretty happy because it's hard to find a taxi like this that's in good condition," Porta said of the car, addinghe wasn't sureit would make the arduous journey back to Vancouver.

"I think that I got a pretty good car for that amount of money."

Porta hasfour cars in his collection, he says, includinganother Crown Victoriapreviously used by the Vancouver Police Department.

Not a taxi for hire, to passengers' confusion

Porta says he likes to drive his new wheelsfor fun, and sometimes drives the carto work. He also likes to take friends and family for a spin free of charge.

He also says he gets confused looks fromcab drivers and pedestrians who occasionally try to flag him down.

Porta says he makes sure he locks the car when he drives it, because several people have openedthe back door and tried to get in, thinking it was a taxi for hire.

"That's part of what makes it really unique," Porta said.

"It's so far out of place, it's really, really far away from its original home."