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Toyota Camry most popular theft target for fifth straight year

DETROIT AP is reporting that CCC Information of Chicago has said that if you own a 1991 Toyota Camry, any Honda Accord or a Chevrolet model, keep an eye on it.

For the fifth straight year, the Camry was the auto thief`s vehicle of choice, while the while the Chevrolet was the most stolen brand in 2001, according to CCC Information Services Inc.

The Honda Accord was the most stolen vehicle regardless of model year.

Overall, however, vehicle thefts fell 2.7 percent last year, according to the Chicago-based technology company that provides software and information services about auto claims to insurers and repair facilities.

``We don`t know for certain why a vehicle is stolen,`` said the company`s president of sales and service Mary Jo Prigge. ``The trend is they`re all stolen for the value of their parts.``

CCC determines its list of most stolen vehicles by analyzing total losses submitted to it by more than 350 property and casualty insurers in North America.

The Camry and Accord have been perennial sales leaders in the last 10 years. Indeed, Camrys had the dubious distinction of taking the top three spots on the list, with last year`s prime target, the 1989 Camry, falling to second place and the 1990 mode l in third.

Auto thieves definitely have a taste for Japanese passenger cars , with Toyota and Honda brands occupying 16 of the top 20 spots, but when it comes to pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles they like American models.

The 1994 Chevrolet C1500 4x2 pickup was the most stolen vehicle from a U.S. automaker, coming in at number five on the list. Of the top 25 most stolen vehicles, five are sport utility vehicles or pickup trucks all from U.S. automakers.

Prigge says the rise in thefts of trucks and SUVs mirrors their increasing popularity among new vehicle buyers.

Since 1997 thefts of so-called light trucks has increased seven percent from 25.7 percent to 32.6 percent. In 1997, only one truck was in the top 25 most stolen list, but there are four in the list for 2001.

In California, the state with the highest theft volume in the nation, the 1991 Toyota Camry was favored by thieves.

Vehicle thieves in New York preferred the 1994 Honda Accord EX., while those in Texas went with what sells the most in the Longhorn state, a pickup truck, the Chevy C1500. In Texas, pickups occupied 11 of the top 25 spots.