STOLEN CLASSICS
It seems that locks are no longer enough to keep our classics safe. We speak to owners who have experienced crime to see how we can help ourselves and what we can learn
More than 350 cars are stolen in the UK every day, up an alarming 25 per cent on the year before, according to the Office of National Statistics. And classic vehicles are not immune from this disturbing trend.
We reported earlier this month on how three rare Minis and their associated parts totalling around £120k were stolen from competition platform UKMinis, while readers might remember that TV and radio personality Jamie Theakston took to social media in frustration last year after his beloved 1977 Triumph Stag was stolen from his home during the night. And the Ford Fiesta 1300S MkI that Wheeler Dealers restored at a cost of more than £11,000 was reportedly stolen the night before it was due to be featured in an upcoming episode.
Neil Armstrong, the enthusiast behind Faceboook group StolenOldSkoolFords and StolenOSFs on twitter/X who is keen to mobilise enthusiasts and social media to fight back against thieves, said: ‘Modern classics such as Fast Fords have soared in value in recent years. We now have more than 17,000 people looking out for stolen cars and many stolen classics are getting recovered thanks in part to the work of vigilant group members.’
According to data from Tesco Bank, the worst first city for car theft is Birmingham, just ahead of London and Sheffield. National insurance data says that most thefts happen between midnight and 7am, a statistic mirrored by Classic CarWeekly’s own conversations with affected readers.
These are the real stories behind Britain’s classic thefts – and’ top tips from those who were reunited with their beloved cars.
ANDY & LAURA HARVEY
Andy and Laura Harvey’s pretty blue Escort MkI was stolen from their home in West Devon. ‘Growing up, my dad and I were great classic car fans and I couldn’t believe it when dad presented me with a barn-find Escort when I was just 13 years old,’ said Andy. ‘It was very original and low mileage and dad and I restored the car to almost as-new condition over the following seven years. I learned so much about every aspect of engineering and maintenance during that time. The Escort was even instrumental in my marriage – I met Laura through our shared interest in classics!’
Andy drove the car for 15 years: ‘I’d sadly lost my dad and wanted to keep the car immaculate partly in tribute to him, so – still with only 54,000 miles on the odometer – I decided to send it to a local paint shop for some minor tidying. In readiness for collection by the painters I took the car out of my garage. It was locked, immobilised with a hidden battery switc
