How does a person stand if they have been informed by 3 independent people that he was to be left a car after the person died, but to date the only will to be found is 23 years old and makes no mention of this. However the public anouncement in the local paper saying anyone with a claim against the estate should contact the local solicitors acting for the deceased as ben published.
the will that mentions the car exists but hasn't been found. Contacting the solicitors might prompt a further search for it but no more
the deceased never got around to making the new will leaving the car Unless the 3 independent people actually saw the will rather than being told about it this is highly likely
Bear in mind that if the deceased didn't own a car at the time of his death the bequest, even in a valid will, fails
I suspect that a quite a number of latest wills 'go missing'. Unless you can produce it, or at least show a later one was made, then the 23 year old one will stand.
It is important that previous wills are destroyed when a new one is produced.