We always knew the Land Rover Defender was a popular vehicle, but we never expected its favorability to be a source of trouble. A recent survey of insurance claims performed by UK insurance provider Swiftcover revealed the Defender to be the most stolen vehicle in Great Britain in 2011.
Swiftcover’s analysis evaluated over 2,300 theft claims reported between February 2011 and February 2012. The company then developed a “theft index” which measured instances of theft relative to the total numbers of a specific vehicle out on the road. The Land Rover Defender drew the highest theft index rating of any vehicle tested at 4%. Following the Rover were the BMW 7 Series and Audi A5 luxury sedans at 3.35% and 3% respectively. The vehicle recording the lowest theft index was the Ford Focus, which also happened to be the most common vehicle found in the survey.
Swiftcover hopes the report causes luxury car owners to take caution. The advanced technology and theft protection systems on luxury vehicles may offer their owners a false sense of security and leave them susceptible to car theft. While the Defender cannot not be considered “technologically advanced,” there is added incentive for would-be car thieves to take their chance at commandeering one of these British icons; Americans.
"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."
Do you know where your Defender came from?
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