If it’s Worth Collecting – it’s Worth Protecting

Auto theft is still a big problem in the U.S. even though advancements in modern technology have made it more difficult to steal a vehicle and easier to track down both the vehicle and the person who stole it. The newer the car, the more anti-theft technology it will have inside, and long gone are the days of crossing a few wires under the dashboard to “hot-wire” a car and drive off into the sunset.

However, police departments across the nation acknowledge that vehicle theft is still a big problem, especially in urban areas, and often remind citizens that there are steps people can take to reduce the risk of having their vehicles stolen. Police usually remind people to lock their doors securely, park in well-lit areas and to set their alarm systems. A few extra layers of protection wouldn’t hurt either, making steering wheel locks a good idea, leaving valuables in plain sight a bad idea, and installing a self-reporting, stolen vehicle transponder like a LoJack system, even better. Different regions of the nation have different models of the most stolen vehicles, but police data shows that across the country, thieves will steal nearly any type of car or truck when presented with the opportunity.

As far as the types of vehicle most often stolen, if you drive a popular car like a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, the individual parts of a “high demand” car can often be sold for just about the same amount of profitability for the thief as a more expensive import or sports car might bring. If a car is very unusual or made in very small quantities, thieves will sometimes pass over it for something more mainstream and re-sellable, but generally, law enforcement will tell you that the most stolen vehicles are relatively late-model versions of todays’ most popular cars and trucks. This does not mean that vintage cars are immune however, as even if your passion and pride is classic American iron, you can still be a target for auto theft.

When TV celebrity psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw had his classic 1957 Chevrolet sedan stolen, the auto insurance industry took note and produced some surprising statistics showing that many classic cars get stolen these days. Statistics from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the investigative unit of the insurance industry, show that California leads the nation in the theft of classic ‘57 Chevys with over 6,700 of that single model being stolen in the Golden State from 1958 to the present. In second place, Texas has had over 2,000 ’57 Chevys disappear, followed by 1,286 in New York and 909 vanished in Washington state. Nearly any restored classic from General Motors can be a target as evidenced by the recent brazen theft of four different vintage GM show cars in Monterey, California. During the festivities at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey, thieves were somehow able to remove two 1961 Impalas, one 1957 Bel Air and a 1962 Corvette.

The theft data shows that vintage cars can be at risk no matter where they are located, and the insurance industry has an appropriate saying for the situation in the oft-repeated phrase “If it’s worth collecting, it’s worth protecting.” This means it is important to protect your investment with the right amount of insurance and if you drive something rare, old, and different like a restored GM classic, you need to insure your car for its actual total value and not just the cost of replacing the parts.

Thankfully, determining exactly how to insure your classic car correctly is not a difficult task these days. Every good classic car insurance company can help you determine what your restored ride is really worth, and also help you get the right amount of coverage to make sure you can get every dollar of your car’s value back in the event of a total loss. Organizations like the Historic Vehicle Association recommend all classic automobile owners get the insurance coverage they need to keep “Yesterday’s Vehicles on Tomorrow’s Roads” and ensure that the owners are covered in the event of a theft or accident. If you’ve got a classic car, you need classic car insurance, and you can get free coverage quotes and compare the costs of different plans quickly and easily thanks to the many classic car insurance companies with an active presence on the Internet today.