Thieves increasingly targeting classic cars

David Ross, Editor
Wed, 12 Jul 2023

Owners of classic cars are being warned of an increase in classic car thefts, made all the easier as most lack modern security features making them an attractive target for organised thieves.

Stolen vehicle recovery expert Tracker is highlighting an alarming rise in illegal dismantling workshops, commonly known as "chop shops," due to the ongoing challenge of spare parts availability in the used car market.

Criminals operate these workshops, often masquerading as legitimate establishments, where stolen cars are taken apart and their parts sold for significant profits.

Unfortunately, even classic cars are not immune to the attention of unscrupulous thieves who target them specifically for this purpose.

With many modern classics fast increasing in value - specialist insurer Hagerty recently revealed that cars like the Mk1 Ford Fiesta, Audi TT Quattro Sport, Lotus Elise S2 and Mercedes-Benz SL500, are expected to see a surge in prices this year - targeted classic car theft is on the rise.

"Many classic vehicles are predicted to rise in value this year, some faster than the average savings account.  Often kept in storage and lacking the sophisticated security that comes with modern cars, classics are a “hot target” among criminal gangs stealing to order," says Clive Wain, Head of Police Liaison at Tracker.

"Unfortunately, with the spare parts crisis continuing, many of these cars are now being stolen to be stripped down, unless they are tracked and recovered within the first 24 hours of being stolen. Sadly however, the lack of identification markings, means they are harder to locate once stolen."

"Simple precautions can be taken to protect these vehicles and for a small investment, a tracking device significantly increases the chances of a classic car being found and returned to its rightful owner. Starting with our top security tips it will help stop thieves in their tracks," adds Wain.

Wain points out that a small investment in a tracking device can significantly enhance the chances of recovering a stolen classic car and returning it to its rightful owner. 

Tracker has come up with some classic car security tips.

• Park in busy or well-lit and attended car parks near CCTV cameras
• Never leave the keys in the car or garage
• Ensure the doors are locked, the sunroof and windows are closed
• Don’t leave valuables such as phones and bags in view, but if you have no choice, leave them out of sight in the locked boot
• If you have a garage, use it, if not park a modern car in front of the classic car on the drive, as it is harder to steal
• Invest in an immobiliser and Tracker device for added protection and to reduce insurance premiums
• A car alarm is essential as classics are easier to break into
• At home, don’t keep keys in a place where they can be seen or accessed from outside 

Ask HJ

Why will my insurer not cover my new car?

I've just bought a Ford Focus ST-Line X 2020, and when I tried to insure it with my current car insurers, they just replied we don't insure that type of car with no explanations, so we went else where. But why do some insurers not insure this type of car, when I thought that it was only cars that were too expensive to fix, or stolen too much that were the common reason for refusing, but I wouldn't have thought that this car comes under those criteria, or does it?

Insurers use a wide variety of data to calculate premiums, but this data can vary between insurance companies, as well as the criteria they use to determine the risk profile of a vehicle and the party being insured. We would not expect this generation of Focus to attract a higher degree of risk than equivalent hatchbacks, but it may be that for this particular insurer this vehicle is high risk. This could be because of repair costs, likelihood of theft or frequency of claims that it attracts. The fact that the Focus is a very popular car may count against it - the more of one type of vehicle that is on the road, statistically the more likely it is to be involved in a claim.

Answered by David Ross

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