Police call for theft awareness as Home Office figures show modern classics are more at risk
Thieves will make short work of breaking into most vehicles – but due to rising values 1980s cars are prime targets.
Shock new statistics from the Home Office reveal that rapidly appreciating 1980s classics are the most likely of all cars to be stolen. Vehicles from this decade collectively make up less than 2% of all vehicles on the road, but police say that if you own an ‘80s classic, you should take extra measures to protect it.
The sobering numbers backing up these findings were released in a new report published in January by the Home Office. The publication of these findings are aimed at reducing crimes against classic car owners, but highlight the problem. For instance, 98 car thefts in every 10,000 are against Vauxhall Novas.
The report outlined that vehicle theft offenders operating today are even more organised and capable than they were in the 1980s, something car crime adviser to the Federation of British Historic Vehicles, PC Simon Barrett, would agree with.
‘Car crime in the 1980s was rampant and the problem hasn’t gone away. I’m pleased the Home Office has done something,’ he says. ‘The sad news is that as these cars rise in value, they become more attractive to steal. We’re trying to raise awareness so people can stop themselves becoming victims.’
The FBHVC had a stand at last year’s NEC Classic Motor Show showing visitors the best ways to prevent classic car theft.
According to the Home Office report, ‘…newer cars make up a far higher proportion of stolen vehicles than older cars, but once this is adjusted for numbers of cars on the road, those vehicles that were made in the 1980s (before the second wave of vehicle security began) are still more likely to be stolen, even though they collectively make up less than 2%of vehicles on the road.
‘In other words, it appears as though vehicle security may still be keeping theft rates down, with only a few offenders bypassing the security to steal newer vehicles, and some thieves still seeking out older cars with weaker security.’
Dan Keel, press officer for the Home Office, says: ‘We’ve released the statistics to raise awareness within the classic car community so that something can be done about it.’
Most stolen 1980s classics:
Vauxhall Nova - 98 thefts per 10,000 vehicles
Ford Sierra - 78 thefts per 10,000 vehicles
Ford Escort MkII - 48 thefts per 10,000 vehicles
Peugeot 205 - 34 thefts per 10,000 vehicles
Peugeot 405 - 33 thefts per 10,000 vehicles