Have you ever had your car stolen?

[Chris S]

Around 1985 I had my 10-year-old Ford Escort stolen. I spotted it a few streets away from me and 'stole' it back. The boot was crammed full of booze and porn mags.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Ford Capri in the late seventies, nicked from a pub car park. It was found five weeks later minus the battery and some tools and the day after the insurance company had written asking for the log book so they could pay out.

 

[Spiderweb]

Not a car but I had my brand new motorbike a 1984 Yamaha RD125LC stolen when I was attending night school at building college in Leeds, It was my pride & Joy and I was devastated!
Luckily it was found the same night, it had sustained a bit of damage but the insurance company sorted it and it was as good as new when I got it back.

 

[Spiderweb]

Around 1985 I had my 10-year-old Ford Escort stolen. I spotted it a few streets away from me and 'stole' it back. The boot was crammed full of booze and porn mags.

Win Win!

 

[midlife]

Blimey, had the cars stolen loads of times in Manchester in the 80's-90's. Red Astra GTE MK1 nicked and written off, Astra GTE MK 2 stolen about 3 times and recovered one time covered in blood and full of loot, then an Escort.... got fed up of looking for where I parked it only to find a puddle of glass.

 

[I like Skol]

Yep, had a Cavalier 2.0 SRi stolen visiting relatives in Manchester, mid 1990s. Twice.

The first time they had it away during the night, I got a call from GMP early the next morning to say my car had been used in a burglary and had been recovered. When I got it back it was a wreck, several panels done for, one wheel hanging off, suspension wrecked, engine trashed.
My Mum's husband was a great mechanic and he took it into his garage and did the work himself, replaced all the damaged parts over about a week, and had it looking and driving as good as new.

Then at the same address just weeks later I parked it up and this time kept my eye on it, lo and behold, within minutes, 3 scrotes were busy breaking into it. I chased outside armed with a golf club but they were already pulling away towards the end of the cul-de-sac. They got it jammed between two concrete bollards and legged it, leaving me with a stranded / stuck Cavalier that had two damaged panels and wheels, broken steering column, door locks etc.

I lost heart after that and resolved not to have higher performance cars ever again. Or to ever visit Manchester with a half decent car. I hate thieves.

Manchester hasn't changed......

I had my second car stolen from outside the family house in 91/92. A rather nice if not older Mk1 Astra in metallic copper with alloy wheels. It had a factory sunroof too.....

Never saw it again, but the wheels turned up on a local taxi and I did get them back.

As far as security goes there was little in them days but I did have an Autolok(?) handbrake/gearstick immobiliser, which must have been about as much use as a chocolate tea cosy.

 

[MontyVeda]

I haven't (never driven)... but i do have an anecdote.

One of my friends told me that if i bump into so-and-so, to tell him that his car's still parked outside friends house. A few days later I did bump into so-and-so and asked how he was "Had my car nicked." he frowned. I asked when. "Last week." he told me. "oh..." i began. He'd gone through all the motions; informed the police, insurance, had to bus the 35 miles to and from work for the best part of a week... only to find he'd forgotten where he'd last parked it. I did enjoy the look on his face.

 

[vickster]

Golf GTI lifted off my drive in night back in 2013. Reckon it was targeted due to colour/spec
It ended up replacing with a newer more expensive car, more desirable to me, maybe not to thieves tho (despite being similarly powerful)

 

[AlanW]

Golf GTI lifted off my drive in night back in 2013. Reckon it was targeted due to colour/spec
It ended up replacing with a newer more expensive car, more desirable to me, maybe not to thieves tho (despite being similarly powerful)

Thats interesting, we didn't purchase the last car in the colour that we really liked and wanted as we both deemed it as be to loud and shouty. So instead we opted for a nice subtle and more classy mineral grey.

Fat lot of difference that made!!

 

[TissoT]

I haven't had a car nicked Luckily.

Back in the Mid 70s we woke up to a red car on the drive.

My mum thought it was one of the neighbours who had a family get together and left it there.

Two days went by the car hadn't be move or claimed Mum and Dad decide to call the police.

The car had been nicked locally and just dumped on the drive.

 

[steveindenmark]

Now I am my 60s. Every time I come out of the supermarket I think someones stolen my car. But I find it within half an hour.

 

[vickster]

Thats interesting, we didn't purchase the last car in the colour that we really liked and wanted as we both deemed it as be to loud and shouty. So instead we opted for a nice subtle and more classy mineral grey.

Fat lot of difference that made!!

Mine was a lovely metallic blue, not shouty. 3 door though. I think Golf GTIs have always been thief scum magnets
Grey cars are super dull

 

[oldwheels]

Where I live car theft is not common but has been known. Perhaps borrowed to get home to a village some miles away but rarely damaged. Having to use a ferry acts as a deterrent to outright theft tho' not infallible.
My wife nearly went off with a neighbouring business van which was the same age and colour as ours. Got in and thought "this van is a tip, that husband of mine needs to get out here and clear up his mess."
Got into gear and was just pulling out when the truth hit her. It was not our van.

 

[AlanW]

Grey cars are super dull

Pity the two self-gratification artists that nicked mine didnt think the same

 

[yello]

Car, no. Motorcycle, yes. From a parking bay in central London. It was all locked and chained up, police reckon it would have just been lifted up and into a van, chains and locks dealt with later.

Incredibly, it was found. It had been used in a burglary. By that stage though, insurance had paid up (full insured value too!) I could have bought it back of the insurance company but I declined.