Police have announced a $1 million reward to try to solve a fatal car bombing that kicked off a gangland war almost 30 years ago.

Businessman Gianni “John” Furlan, 48, died instantly when his sedan exploded on a Coburg street in Melbourne’s north on August 3, 1998.

He was alone in the vehicle and was driving his usual route from his home in Sydney Road to his car wrecking business on Sages Road.

A man of routine, Furlan stopped at the Merlynston News Agency for a coffee and newspaper on the way.

Just after 8.30am, while he was driving, a bomb in Furlan’s car detonated.

The force of the explosion killed him instantly and catapulted his car 15 metres down the road, shattering nearby shop windows and spraying debris more than 300 metres.

It was heard up to five kilometres away. But, despite the noise and widespread damage, nobody else was physically injured.

Police said commercial explosives had been attached to the car while Furlan was visiting a friend in Hobart days before the explosion.

On Monday, police announced a $1 million reward to try to find those responsible for Furlan’s death.

Detective Inspector Chris Murray said police believed the public could hold the missing piece of the puzzle.

“It has been almost 30 years since John’s death, but I would like to strongly reinforce that this is both an active investigation, and one that we believe is solvable,” Murray said.

“John’s death was shocking, brutal and a horrendous act of violence that put the lives of many innocent civilians going about their daily life at risk.

“We have every reason to believe someone out there today knows what happened to John and who is responsible.”

The reward is the most recent public plea to solve Furlan’s death. In 2000, police offered a $100,000 reward for a caller who gave them a valuable lead in the investigation to call them back.

During that call, police were told about two cars seen trailing Furlan’s white Subaru before it exploded.

The reward of up to $1 million will be paid, at the discretion of the Chief Commissioner of Police, for information leading to the apprehension and subsequent conviction of those responsible for Furlan’s death.

Melbourne’s gangland war began in January 1998 with the death of Alphonse Gangitano shot dead in his Templestowe home and ended when Carl Williams was killed at Barwon Prison in 2010.

-AAP