Not that I’m a thief (and let it stand I’ve never been one), even if I took on the job I would never have considered stealing a car directly from the factory. However in Michigan, there were some thieves that were bold enough to try it. Southeast Michigan’s News-Herald reported these particular thieves got away with four brand new Mustang GT500s from Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant.
According to Flat Rock Police, the thieves made their move around 10:50 p.m. on Sunday (December 12). Authorities say there was no surveillance video showing the break-in. But the thieves left a little something to remember this brilliance with aside from the stolen Mustangs: the damaged security gate they plowed through in their getaway.
Police later found two of the GT500’s discarded with damage almost 12 miles away on Interstate 75.
Shortly after the theft, two of the stolen vehicles were recovered on I-75 in Brownstown Township and the city of Southgate, including one with heavy front-end damage. Both vehicles were unoccupied.
I wonder if the one with the front-end damage had anything to do with the gate?
The two other GT500’s managed to get away and still have yet to be located. They’re described as being “Belladonna Black” in color which is a terrible description to give of stolen vehicles that are trying to be recovered. That’s not even one of the color choices the GT500 has. The 2022 models black color choice is called “Shadow Black.”
How did thieves manage to get into what was at one time one of the most advanced casting plants in the world? I mean if you take a look at the surrounding area, it honestly doesn’t look very hard to get onto the property. A simple Google Street View confirms this. Just look at that security gate. It wouldn’t take much effort to get a human, or a car through there.
The Mustang has been built in the Flat Rock plant since 2005. You’d think something like this may have happened a little sooner. Or wait, it did.
Back in 2017, two individuals snuck into the plant through a hole in the fence and got away with two Mustangs. One was caught, while the other got away. And even back then, authorities said that the previous two years had seen numerous thefts of Mustangs from the plant.
I guess this week’s theft adventure is just a reminder that Ford should beef up their security, especially at a place that makes one of the most powerful muscle cars on the planet.