<![CDATA[Jalopnik: Stolen Cars]]> http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jalopnik.com.png <![CDATA[Jalopnik: Stolen Cars]]> http://jalopnik.com/tag/stolen cars http://jalopnik.com/tag/stolen cars <![CDATA[The Mysterious Case Of The Car That Stole Itself]]> Sleuthy detectives in rural Australia have declared "Case Closed" in the incident of a mysteriously disappearing car and a phantom garage break in. The culprit? The car itself. And it would have gotten away with it if it weren't for those meddling kids. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5873758&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[These are the ten cars thieves most want to steal]]> The latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows thieves would rather snatch a high performance car over chop-shop money-makers like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. In 2009 numbers, released last night, the Audi S8 and Shelby GT500 Mustang jumped to the top of the list of preferred targets for a generation of car thieves raised on Grand Theft Auto. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5856483&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Man finds his stolen Camaro after 16 years]]> 16 years after his beloved 1969 Camaro was stolen, Edward Neeley located his long lost car by chance while searching the internet for a car to replace it. Neeley calls the fact he found the car, which he had first purchased 30 years ago at the age of 18, "divine intervention". More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5841447&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[America's ten most stolen vehicles still American]]> The Cadillac Escalade continues to be the most stolen vehicle in America, according to the nation's insurance industry. It, and these nine other vehicles, make up the latest list of the ten most likely to be stolen. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5834301&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Ride along with a cop car as it's stolen then crashed]]> Not to get all Tipper Gore, but people do realize that "Grand Theft Auto" is just a video game and not a self-help exercise? Because even if you're high, you shouldn't steal a police cruiser and wreck it. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5803487&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Seattle Police Using Twitter To Find Stolen Cars]]> Car theft is on the rise in Seattle and police are turning to Twitter to help locate stolen automobiles with their GetYourCarBack account. It's also a great way to bust people for using Twitter while driving. Clever cops. [NY Times] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5709349&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Why Stealing A Race Car Is Really Stupid]]> Matt Stanford parked his Mustang drag racer behind Varsity Ford in Ann Arbor, Mich., where a thief managed to snatch it. Cops reunited it with its rightful owner a day later. Here's why you don't steal race cars. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5625392&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The "Rebirthing" Problem Down Under]]> Stolen or written-off cars in Australia are being given new life by criminals falsifying documentation, changing VINs and exporting them to other countries for illegal sale. Police digging into the problem claim they've found millions in contraband cars. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5603664&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Stolen Condom-Mobile Recovered...Without The Condoms]]> A condom-mobile recently stolen in Mexico City was recovered yesterday, much to the relief of Mexico's federal Health Department. But that relief didn't last long: Once the condom-mobile was ripped open, officials discovered the payload of 5,000 prophylactics had been pulled out. Also missing were 800 HIV tests, some sound equipment and a 23-foot (or so they claim) inflatable condom. The truck, which, try as we might, we couldn't find a photo of, is apparently painted up with images of a peeled banana, the exposed part shaped like a condom, and a shirtless man saying: "I protect myself. Do you?" With a paint job like that, it's not surprising it didn't take long for the police to locate the stolen vehicle. [AP via CNN] (Hat tip to Katherine!) More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5058111&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[New Top Ten Stolen Cars List Shows Criminals Love The '90s]]> The National Insurance Crime Bureau just announced their list of the top ten most stolen cars, and surprisingly, most of them were cheaper older models from the 1990s. Forbes says it's because these cars' parts have a greater demand on the salvage market, which is probably true since every '95 Honda Civic we see on the road seems to be sporting a hood from some other Civic. Full list below the jump. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=398260&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Japan Thief Uses Ingenious GPS Plan To Steal Cars]]> You know, we should not be condoning stealing cars, but the route Mitsuhisa Kobayashi used to nab eight different cars was a pretty smart one. A fact that is already telling of his character, Kobayashi has two ex-wives—both of which he instructed to rent cars. He then made copies of the keys and planted GPS tracking devices, similar to this one, on the car. The ex-wives returned the cars and Kobayashi simply waited for them to be rented again and got away with the vehicles. His reasoning behind stealing the vehicles was pretty simple, as well:
I wanted to drive my favorite cars. I sold the other five cars on the Internet.
With copycat criminals running rampant, it may be time for car rental agencies to invest in a little protection. [Daily Yomiuri Online] (Image via Getty) More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=393376&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Stolen Mustang Returned To Owner After 38 Years Of TLC By Somebody Else]]> There's a certain unbelievability to this story out of the city of angels. In 1970, Eugene Brakke had his shiny gold '65 Ford Mustang stolen from him. He reported the theft, but nothing came about for another 38 years. Sure he could have used the Lost Car Registry, but that takes two to tango. Little did Brakke know, but the car had been sold through a (crooked) dealer to the father of Judy Smongesky, who gave it to her as a high school graduation present. Judy has held onto and maintained the car all these years, even having two engine rebuilds and a paint job done. It wasn't until she tried to sell the car that the red flags went up. More »
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