Police want to know about an X-registered silver Mondeo thought to have been used when Brian Keating was taken from his home in Monkhill Lane in Pontefract.
An armed gang broke into the house on 15 October at 2130 BST and attacked Mr Keating.
He was beaten in front of his wife and two children before being forced into the boot of a car.
Car burned
His body was found was found propped up against a wall in St Mark's churchyard in the Woodhouse area of Leeds at 0600 BST the next day.
Detective Superintendent Chris Gregg said: "Extensive inquiries are ongoing but we are still trying to establish the route taken by this car between Pontefract and Leeds.
"Travelling at speed this journey would have taken about 15 minutes so we need to find out what happened to this vehicle during these missing minutes."
The fire service were called at 2121 BST when the car was found alight in the car park of the former Black Dog Inn in Cross Green.
The suspects all wore woollen balaclavas.
West Yorkshire Police confirmed Mr Keating was facing a trial next year for conspiring to murder a Morley car dealer in June 2000.
He was also charged with concealing the proceeds of drugs trafficking.
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