STOLEN TO ORDER AND SOLD ON FOR PEANUTS
THE pain and emotional distress of having your car stolen goes far beyond its actual monetary value.
But it may be even more galling to learn that the thieves who steal it typically secure just a fraction of a car’s value — usually around 1.25 per cent and at most 5 per cent — when they resell it, according to new research from insurers Direct Line.
Interviews with car thieves reveal they often receive just £2,000 for a stolen performance car such as an Audi S3 or equivalent Mercedes or BMW model that will have cost its legitimate owner £40,000 or more.
A car worth £20,000 might generate just £250 for the car thief. Thieves steal to order up to five or six cars at a time and between 60 to 95 cars a week.
Performance hot hatches and estates, including the Audi RS6, RS4 and S3 and Ford Focus RS and Honda TypeR, are especially sought for use as getaway cars in other crimes and burglaries.
Some are stolen for parts, to change another car’s identity, or for export to countries where buying legitimately would be costly due to local tax.
Home Office figures show 108,542 vehicles were stolen between April 2021 and March 2022 in England and Wales — equivalent to 279 a day. That’s up 22 per cent on the previous year.