Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[pigtin]

A friend of mine is writing a book and wants me to give him a list of about five expensive cars that would particularly attract thieves.

He was thinking about classics but I think they could be traced too easily to attract most thieves. I have been looking at modern luxury cars like Range Rover Vogue etc... any ideas?

[Rick]

yes I think these big bling 4x4 things with the huge chrome wheels and elastic band tyres would be the most nickable things, Hummers, that kind of thing? or are they too obvious to whisk away into the night or to the docks?

R
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[ukdave2002]

Saw a TV program a while back about the stolen car business, many cars quality cars BMW's, Merc's etc got exported I think to somewhere in Africa? As part of the program they flew around in a helecoptor with a "Tracker" detector, it was going wild, picking up loads of signals from cars nicked in the UK.

[pigtin]

Many thanks for that: I think with classics, crooks are more likely to use them for 'money laundering.'

Don.

[Old-Nail]

Usually expensive cars are stolen to order, simply because the vehicle would ordinarily be way out of the price range of the would be purchaser, but they can also be stolen simply because the buyer wants one for a lot less money - even though he can afford the full price.

They do indeed go to Africa, and also Russia where the authorities have much more difficulty in tracing their origins. (even though they're RHD)

Secondly they are stolen to be 'ringed' and then sold on in the U.K. via the usual channels - ebay, autotrader etc.

Another reason for targeting certain vehicles is to break them for spare parts as a car is worth much more in pieces than the sum of those parts sold complete. With the luxury car makers charging the earth for almost every part of their cars, a stolen 'spares car' in a lock-up somewhere is a very attractive proposition to the less scrupulous owner or mechanic.

Another reason to steal a fast car such as a 911 is to use it on the track, (or as spares for the racer) This is most common with today's modern motorcycles, they are either stolen to race or stolen to repair a bike/car that has come unstuck while racing.

To steal an expensive classic wouldn't make much sense. to the people doing the stealing as they look upon it as purely a money making enterprise.
Stealing someone's cherished Aston DB5 to order wouldn't appear as profitable as nicking yet another Bentley/Merc/Porche911/BMW found on any golf club's car park.
Don't get me wrong, if the price was right it'd go, but the difficulty in disposing of it innocuously tends to make it less worthwhile.

Car thieves, like all thieves work on an evaluation of risk Vs potential gain
, to steal a valuable classic the risk outweighs the gain and therefore they are not worth the hassle.

[Uncle Joe]

I was told a while ago that here every single Porsche 911 had been stolen at one time or another....

[Old-Nail]

It's a shame but I'm not surprised.

I believe they are fantastic to drive, but like most people I can't justify spending / afford to buy one.

[Uncle Joe]

Once upon a time, I thought that Porkies were fantastic cars, but then I saw them being built. The production line was just like any other car... without soul.

I think that if a car is built efficiently, then it loses character. Maybe thats another reason we drive classics?