In 2001, for the fifth straight year, the Toyota Camry topped the target list of auto thieves, reported CCC Information Services Inc. But it was the 1991 model Camry that wrested the No. 1 slot among stolen vehicles from the 1989 model, which had held the dubious top honour for the previous four years.
Total vehicle thefts continued to decline, falling 2.7 percent last year.
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CCC, a technology provider to the automotive-claims and collision-repair industry, identifies the most-stolen vehicles each year by analysing total losses submitted to it by more than 350 property and casualty insurers in North America. In 2001, CCC valued an average of more than 7,000 vehicles a day. It bases its report on total-loss vehicles stolen and never recovered or completely totalled by the theft. CCC doesn’t include such temporary auto-related thefts as “joy-rides” or theft of car items such as stereos.
“We process nearly a million claims-related transactions each day, giving us a wealth of theft and collision data which allows us to provide awareness to consumers regarding vehicle theft,” said Mary Jo Prigge, CCC’s president of sales and service.
In 2001, according to the latest report:
Vehicle theft, which accounts for about 5 percent of all total losses, decreased 2.7% in 2001 from the previous year.
Toyota and Honda models comprised 16 of the top 20 most-stolen vehicles, with the lone domestic entry in the top 10 being the 1994 Chevrolet C1500 4X2 truck, at No.5. The Honda Accord is the most stolen vehicle regardless of model year.
Only five domestic vehicles made the top 25 list, including two more Chevrolet trucks, the 1997 Ford F150 4X2 truck, and the 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4X4. But Chevrolet continues to lead as the most-stolen make regardless of model, comprising more than 14 percent of total theft volume.
Truck and sport utility vehicles continue to gain the attention of thieves, reflecting their continued growth in popularity, as 2001 marked a 7 percent increase in thefts since 1997.
Thefts of full-sized models and “muscle cars,” like the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, continue to slide, reflecting their fall-off in popularity with consumers.
Michigan holds the highest theft rate in the contiguous states, but domestic cars are favourite targets there, not imports.
