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TRACKER Figures reveal the most stolen and recovered car models of 2013--BMW X5 Tops the Lists


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April 28, 2014: According to the latest figures from TRACKER, the leading stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) expert, the BMW X5 remains top of the car thief’s shopping list. The BMW X5 was the car most frequently stolen and recovered in 2013, making this the fifth year in a row that it has topped the table. Last year TRACKER recovered nearly £8,500,000 worth of stolen vehicles and returned them to their owners. With the average value of cars stolen in 2013 being £23,600, savvy owners invest in a TRACKER unit to increase the chances of their BMW or any other vehicle being recovered.

TRACKER’s 2013 figures shows that the BMW M3 is the second most stolen and recovered vehicle, moving up from third the year before and sixth place in 2011. In 2012, the number two spot was occupied by the Land Rover Sport and Vogue, but in 2013, they sit in seventh and eighth place respectively. The Mercedes C Class makes its first appearance on the table, taking third place, whilst the Porsche 911 reappears in ninth for the first time since 2011.

BMWs dominate in 2013, with the 5 Series, X5, M3 and 3 Series all making the table. However, the Audi A4 has leaped from ninth position in 2011, up to fourth in 2013, showing even thieves have trends. This year, the Audi RS4 doesn’t appear at all, but the Audi S3 does, which takes equal eighth with the Range Rover Vogue.

“It’s clear from our latest figures that thieves continue to target prestige models with the most expensive car recovered being worth £90,000,” says Adrian Davenport, Police Liaison Officer for TRACKER. “The average value of the cars we recovered in 2013 was just £23,600, down on the average for the year before. This proves that you don’t have to be a luxury car owner to be at risk from thieves looking to make a quick profit.

“The best way to increase the likelihood of your vehicle being recovered, if it is stolen, is to invest in a tracking unit. Using our award-winning technology, our trackers emit a signal, which leads police to the stolen vehicle and reuniting owners with their cars.”

TRACKER stolen vehicle recovery systems work like an electronic homing device. A covert transmitter is hidden in one of several dozen places around the vehicle. There is no visible aerial, so the thief won’t even know it’s there. Unlike other tracking systems, the device works even if the vehicle is hidden in a garage or taken abroad. TRACKER is the only vehicle tracking system operated by all police forces in the UK, offering car owners the ultimate in security.

TRACKER’s Top Ten Most Stolen and Recovered

  2011 2012 2013
Top ten cars by make and model most frequently stolen and recovered

1.   BMW X5

2.   BMW 1 series

3.   BMW 3 series

4.   Audi  RS Series

5.   Volkswagen Golf

6.   BMW M3

7.   LandRover RangeRover

8.   Mercedes C Class

9.   Audi A4

Porsche 911

1. BMW X5

2. Land Rover – Vogue/Sport

3. BMW M3

4. BMW 3 Series / Audi RS4 =

5. Mercedes SLK

6. Mercedes ML

7. BMW M5/X6 =

8. Mercedes CLS/E Class =

1. BMW X5

2. BMW M3

3. Mercedes C Class

4. Audi S4

5. BMW M5

6. BMW 3 Series

7. Range Rover Sport

8. Range Rover Vogue, Audi S3 =

9. Mercedes E Class, BMW 5 Series, Porsche 911 =