Parked classic cars "easy targets" for theft

Budget priced GPS tracker for an MGV8. More

High tech tracker that works if a stolen car is below ground or in a container. More

UV marker pens & electronic chips to help trace stolen parts and components. More





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In its lead article this week, Classic Car Weekly highlights how organised criminals aren't just after your car, they're after parts too! It says "teams of organised and skilled career criminals are starting to steal components off cars while parked on your drives and in garages. Criminology experts are now warning classic car owners that crooks, orchestrated by top crime lords, are becoming more cunning in their understanding of classic cars following an outbreak of parts stolen from vehicles". The police say "doors, seats and catalytic converters are high on thieves' shopping lists". A former Stolen Vehicle Squad boss urges classic car owners to "mark up their vehicles' components" so that if a part is recovered the police can trace it back to you.

So what are the options? - installing a GPs tracker and using a UV marker pen or electronic chips on key components and parts.
See a recent article in the Daily Telegraph on car theft in which they highlight the recent "pinch and park" trend which thieves use - having stolen the car they then park it up somewhere else for a short period, often not too far from the location of the theft. The reason they do this is to check the car hasn't got a tracking device fitted. If the car is still there after a couple of weeks the chances are it hasn't got a tracker so then the thieves can return to take the car away without the risk that the tracking device will lead the police straight to them. So if your car is stolen, it makes sense to check the local area as thoroughly as you can to see if it is parked up in a side road. DT article