Corvettes, Mustangs rate most-stolen classic cars. Insurer says scarce parts might be cause

Chicago Illinois May 2 2003; John Porretto writing for the AP reports that Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords might be the most popular targets for thieves in search of newer vehicles, but two American-made muscle cars top the most-stolen list for classic rides, a new study shows.

The Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Mustang were found to be the nation's most-stolen collectible vehicles in a three-year study conducted by Hagerty Insurance, a leading insurer of collectible cars and motorcycles.

The study was done between July 1999 and December 2002 using theft reports and Hagerty's own insurance records. The Traverse City company says it covers some 250,000 of the estimated 800,000 insured collectible vehicles in the United States.

Typically, a collector car is more than 25 years old and driven less than 2,500 miles a year.

Corvettes from the model years 1966-82 accounted for 13.3 percent of stolen collector cars during the period studied, and Mustangs from 1964-69 accounted for 6.5 percent of all thefts, Hagerty found.

Chevrolet spokesman Tom Wilkinson said the automaker produced nearly 1.3 million Corvettes between 1953 and 2002. He said Chevy began using an anti-theft device involving a coded key in 1986 and it reduced thefts sharply.

"They're obviously still very popular cars," Wilkinson said.

Also on Hagerty's list of most-stolen classic vehicles: the Chevy Impala (1958-67), Chevy Camaro (1968-69), Harley Davidson motorcycles (1941-74) and the Chevy Nova (1963-72).

The only foreign brand in the top 10 was the Mercedes-Benz 450 for model years 1975-79.

McKeel Hagerty, president of Hagerty Insurance, said an increasing demand for parts is a chief reason for the thefts.

"With the generational collector shift from classic autos of the 1930s and 1940s to cars from the 1950s, '60s and '70s, we're seeing an increase in these 'more drivable' cars on the open roads," Hagerty said.

Last month, a report showed the Camry is the vehicle auto thieves targeted most in 2002. Toyota and Honda models made up 20 of the top 25 most-stolen vehicles. Accords from various years grabbed 11 of the spots, according to Chicago's CCC Information Services Inc., an insurance industry tracker of trends in theft and vehicle damage.

COVETED CLASSICS Here's a list of the most-stolen collectible vehicles in the United States, according to a three-year study by classic car insurer Hagerty Insurance: 1. Chevrolet Corvette (1966-82)

2. Ford Mustang (1964-69)

3. Chevrolet Impala (1958-67)

4. Chevrolet Camaro (1968-69)

5. Harley Davidson motorcycles (1941-74)

6. Chevrolet Nova (1963-72)

7. Chevrolet Chevelle (1966-73)

8. Chevrolet Monte Carlo (1970-78)

9. Cadillac DeVille (1955-65)

Chevrolet pickups (1950-71)

Mercedes-Benz 450 (1975-79)

10. Ford Thunderbird (1955-63)

Lincoln Continental (1964-77)