Not sure why someone would run the risk of going to jail over a Ford Mustang, but here is an interesting article.
Corvettes, Mustangs rate most-stolen classic cars
> Insurer says scarce parts might be cause
> May 1, 2003
> BY JOHN PORRETTO
> ASSOCIATED PRESS
> 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.
> Ford and GMAC try to avoid Billy Martin-type suits
> By Doron Levin / Bloomberg New
Corvettes, Mustangs rate most-stolen classic cars
> Insurer says scarce parts might be cause
> May 1, 2003
> BY JOHN PORRETTO
> ASSOCIATED PRESS
> 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.
> Ford and GMAC try to avoid Billy Martin-type suits
> By Doron Levin / Bloomberg New
