General insurance company Swiftcover has released a list with the top 10 vehicles that are most likely to be stolen in Britain.
The company states it analyzed more than 2,300 theft claims among the UK vehicles it insured from February 2011 to February 2012, while taking into account the estimated numbers of cars on the road and removing models with less than ten cases of theft per year.
According to the findings, the Land Rover Defender is the most likely vehicle to be stolen in the UK, while 8 out of the top ten targets were luxury vehicles, of which seven are from German brands.
The top three cars, the Land Rover Defender, the BMW 7 Series and the Audi A5, were given index scores of 4%, 3.35% and 3% respectively based on the likelihood that they would be pinched by thieves
The UK’s most popular model, the Ford Focus came in 46th with an index score of 0.63 percent, while the VW Golf ranked 24th with a score of 1.01 percent.
Swiftcover said the average OTR price among the top ten cars is £37,815 (€46,200 or US$61,200 at today’s exchange rates) with the most expensive model on the list being the Range Rover, which starts at £69,995 (€85,400 or US$113,300).
“Given that luxury vehicles are usually alarmed, well protected and parked in affluent – and ostensibly secure – neighbourhoods, it’s surprising that they’re still so likely to be targeted,” stated Robin Reames, chief claims officer at Swiftcover. “This index should give drivers pause for thought: no car is immune from theft, and the best security system in the world won’t protect a car if, as is often the case, the keys are stolen.”
“Often, luxury cars which are stolen are immediately sent abroad where they can be resold or stripped for parts. Cars which are popular internationally – such as the Land Rover range – are easier to sell on, which makes them much more desirable from a thief’s point of view,” Reames added.
TOP 10 LIST 