Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[VW Bus stolen 35 years ago returned in mint condition... to Allstate]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/09/vw-bus-stolen-35-years-ago-returned-in-mint-condition-to-alls/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/09/vw-bus-stolen-35-years-ago-returned-in-mint-condition-to-alls/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/09/vw-bus-stolen-35-years-ago-returned-in-mint-condition-to-alls/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



In 1974, this 1965 Volkswagen Type 2 (a.k.a. 'Bus') was stolen from Washington State. Fast-forward to October 19 of this year and custom agents at the Port of Los Angeles open up a container bound for Europe only to rediscover said van. Somehow, the Bus's VIN was still in the LAPD's stolen vehicle database. Guess which 1965 Type 2 is no longer headed for Europe?

Here's where it gets a little bit foggy, a little bit weird. According to the Los Angeles Times, the cops and the feds can't find the original owner. And the gentleman that restored the thirteen-window Bus to such pristine condition and who was planning on shipping said Bus back to the fatherland is also a victim of the theft - meaning he's off the hook, but out of money. Because way back in 1974, Allstate ("You're in good hands") Insurance paid the then owner $2,500 for the stolen Volkswagen. Which means that Allstate is winding up with the Bus.

Update: The original owner has been located! Her name is Michelle Squires and yes, she would like her Bus back. The reason that she couldn't be located at first is because her last name used to be Carlson. Says Squires, "I don't know if I could afford it because the restored bus is supposed to be around $25,000 now, but I would like the opportunity to talk to Allstate to see if I could get it back." While we think it would be a stellar PR coup for Allstate, Squires should probably prepare to stay separated from her van.

[Source: Los Angeles Times | Image: Department of Homeland Security]

VW Bus stolen 35 years ago returned in mint condition... to Allstate originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Allstateauto insuranceAutoInsuranceBuscar insuranceCarInsuranceDepartment of Homeland SecurityDepartmentOfHomelandSecurityhomeland securityHomelandSecurityinsuranceStolen CarStolen CarsStolenCarStolenCarsTheftThirteen-Window BusThirteen-windowBusvolkswagenVolkswagen busVolkswagen Station WagonVolkswagen Type 2VolkswagenBusVolkswagenStationWagonVolkswagenType2VWVW BusVwBusMon, 09 Nov 2009 17:40:00 EST<![CDATA[REPORT: FBI busts up $25M car cloning ring]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/25/report-fbi-busts-up-25m-car-cloning-ring/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/25/report-fbi-busts-up-25m-car-cloning-ring/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/25/report-fbi-busts-up-25m-car-cloning-ring/#commentsFiled under: , ,



The Federal Bureau of Investigations has shut down a car theft ring operating in the U.S. for more than 20 years, causing in excess of $25 million in losses to owners and banks. According to CNN, the ring would clone cars, swiping the legal identity of one car - VIN numbers, tags, stickers -- and applying it to another, stolen car. The cloned car would then be sold to a dealer or consumer, and the countdown would begin: Eventually, most would be discovered as stolen property and confiscated, but the buyer would remain on the hook for the money owed.

For example, a man in Florida bought a Ford F-350 Super Duty for $27,000 last year from a used car dealer. Nine months later, it was tracked down and confiscated, but the bank has told the owner that he's still on the hook for the loan for a vehicle he no longer has.

Although the FBI admonishes, "Folks should be educated enough so that they don't buy a car from a stranger, on the street, or in a back alley somewhere," that might be a bit much, and the Super Duty owner bought the car at a used car lot. All kinds of private and public buyers have been taken, so do all of the research you can, and definitely don't buy your car in a back alley somewhere - the FBI got that much right! Hot tip, Jan.

Have you ever suffered an automobile-related theft? Take our poll after the jump!

[Source: CNN]

Continue reading REPORT: FBI busts up $25M car cloning ring

REPORT: FBI busts up $25M car cloning ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto theftAutoTheftcar buyingcar theftCarBuyingCarTheftFBIgovermentlegalscamstolenstolen carStolenCartheftWed, 25 Mar 2009 16:56:00 EST<![CDATA[Steve McQueen's stolen Cadillac recovered]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/26/steve-mcqueens-stolen-cadillac-recovered/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/26/steve-mcqueens-stolen-cadillac-recovered/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/26/steve-mcqueens-stolen-cadillac-recovered/#commentsFiled under: , ,



A busted car theft ring has turned up a vintage Cadillac once owned by one of the Magnificent Seven. The five-finger-discount drivers out of Colorado, headed by Jeffrey Earle Piper, would steal expensive rental cars, change their VIN numbers and "sell" them. The new "owner", who was in on the whole thing, would then report "his" car stolen and collect on the insurance policy. One of the cars found among the loot: a $133,000 1959 Cadillac - looks like a Series 62 convertible - that once belonged to Steve McQueen. It's other claim to fame: a guest spot on the TV show MacGuyver. The mystery we're still trying to solve is which one of its owners put the Yeti pelt over the driver's seat? Hat tip to Derek!

[Source: Denver Post]

Steve McQueen's stolen Cadillac recovered originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drumroll please! The 2008 Top 10 most popular cars among car thieves are... The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute recently released their list of the top 10 most stolen vehicles for 2008, and trucks and SUVs are the biggest target. We wonder if this might reflect some people finding a nefarious way to dispose of their gas-guzzler and collect the insurance money. Hopefully that's not the case, but seriously, if you were a car thief, would you want a land yacht instead of a canyon carver?

For whatever reasons, the most targeted vehicles aren't necessarily the most drool-worthy ones on the road. Thieves tend to go after vehicles that easily blend in with traffic, can be sold for parts or are popular in foreign markets where they can be dumped quickly. Big vehicles also tend to spend more time parked in driveways or on the street rather than in garages, so they're more easily accessible by naydoers. The IIHS looks at insurance-claim reports to determine theft-frequency rates and compile the Most Stolen Vehicle list. The figures are reported in number of claims filed for every 1,000 vehicles insured each year, and this most recent report covers vehicles made and sold between 2005 and 2007.

Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in 2008 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Finding a stash of vehicles left to rot can be exciting, like if they're in a barn and they're vintage and would have some high collectible value once fixed up. Finding a stash of cars left to rot at the bottom of a lake, well, that's a downer for everyone. Authorities in Camas, Washington (the state) recently pulled five gutted cars from Lacamas Lake, all of which had been stolen: two Hondas, two Acuras, and a Chevy Tahoe. The lake's water level is low this time of year, which allowed boaters to see the cars underwater. It's the second time the police have had to do salvage duty in the same lake for the same reason, and by their own accounts it is a "stolen car graveyard." If you live in Oregon's greater Vancouver area where the cars were stolen, it could be time to invest in... a snorkel. Thanks for the tip, Thom!

[Source: KPTV]

Police find "stolen car graveyard" in Washington lake originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>camascamas washingtonCamasWashingtonlake lacamasLakeLacamassalvagesalvaged carsSalvagedCarsstolenstolen carstolen carsStolenCarStolenCarsThu, 11 Sep 2008 17:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Lesson of the day: Don't hide your spare keys in your car]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/27/lesson-of-the-day-dont-hide-your-spare-keys-in-your-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/27/lesson-of-the-day-dont-hide-your-spare-keys-in-your-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/27/lesson-of-the-day-dont-hide-your-spare-keys-in-your-car/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but it's probably not a good idea to hide the spare keys for your first and second car inside your... uh, car. Perhaps you can already tell where we're going with this... for the sake of the story, though, we'll continue. What might happen if your car were stolen? You'd be giving a thief keys to the car they just stole, plus, as a bonus, the keys to your other car.

Unfortunately for at least one man, the scenario in the preceding paragraph is a true story. "We believe the keys for both vehicles may have been inside the initial vehicle that was stolen," said Cornwall police spokesman Blake Paquin, who added, "We never recommend hiding keys in a vehicle." The spare keys for the man's 2002 BMW 325 were hidden in his 2003 Hummer H2, which led to the theft of both vehicles... within the same hour. Doh!

[Source: Andrew Seymour / Ottawa Citizen]

Lesson of the day: Don't hide your spare keys in your car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bmwhummerspare keysspare-keysSpareKeysstolenstolen bmwstolen carstolen hummerstolen-bmwstolen-carstolen-hummerStolenBmwStolenCarStolenHummerThu, 27 Mar 2008 16:18:00 EST<![CDATA[Oregon State Police return a '40 Plymouth sedan stolen 21 years earlier]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/17/oregon-state-police-return-a-40-plymouth-sedan-stolen-21-years/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/17/oregon-state-police-return-a-40-plymouth-sedan-stolen-21-years/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/17/oregon-state-police-return-a-40-plymouth-sedan-stolen-21-years/#commentsFiled under: ,

Browsing through eBay, it us quite common to come across an ad for an older car that is without a title. Before bidding on the item, perhaps it would be a good idea to make sure that the seller has the right to sell the car. Case in point: Bruce Rask of Rainier, Oregon just received his 1940 Plymouth sedan back 21 years after it was originally reported stolen. It is unclear where the car went after being stolen in August of 1986, but it was recently purchased by a man in Sheridan, Oregon who bought the car without a title. Despite the fact that the man who purchased the car did not know that it was stolen, he very well may be out the money he spent on the car, as it is being return to Rask, the rightful owner.

Trooper Jeff Dickerson of the Oregon State Police says, "Never buy a motor vehicle from a third party without a title to the car. If the seller is unable to provide a title to the vehicle, there is a very good chance the seller is not authorized to be making the sale at all. You could end up losing what you paid for the vehicle if it can be shown it actually belongs to someone else." This story brings meaning to the saying, "Buyer Beware"!

[Source: KATU News - Portland, Oregon]

Oregon State Police return a '40 Plymouth sedan stolen 21 years earlier originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1940 Plymouth1940Plymouthstolen carStolenCartitleFri, 17 Aug 2007 15:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Taking Liberty: Car thief blunders big-time with trade-in]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/25/taking-liberty-car-thief-blunders-big-time-with-trade-in/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/25/taking-liberty-car-thief-blunders-big-time-with-trade-in/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/25/taking-liberty-car-thief-blunders-big-time-with-trade-in/#commentsFiled under: ,



Today's tale involving the questionable decision-making skills of criminals comes from Norwalk, CT. It seems that one Jazrahel King had visited the Wholesalers of America used car lot on Main Street in the hopes of test driving some vehicles. The staff at the dealership nixed the drives, however, after discovering that Mr. King had some issues with his credit.

According to sales manager Diego Coleman, this particular setback did not exactly deter King, who was seen by staffers walking around the lot at the same time Coleman was prepping a recently-sold 2003 Jeep Liberty for customer pick-up. The Jeep, which had the keys in it, must have been left unattended for a moment, because the next thing anyone knew was that both the SUV and Jazrahel King were history.

Read on to learn how not to flip your boost.

[Source: AP via the Connecticut Post]

Continue reading Taking Liberty: Car thief blunders big-time with trade-in

Taking Liberty: Car thief blunders big-time with trade-in originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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From the bible of the collector car world comes a cautionary tale of a stolen Shelby and a good lesson in caveat emptor. John Draneas of Collector Car Market recounts the story of a 1965 Shelby GT350 that was stolen back in 1979. The insurance company paid the owner $6500 and the vehicle was never seen from again. Well, not with its original serial number at any rate. While running a cursory check of eBay, Shelby American Automobile Club Registrar Howard Pardee came across a nice looking '65 GT350. With a little legwork, he discovered that the car had been reported stolen and unrecovered back in 1979. He contacted the eBay seller and that's when things got really interesting.

The seller had purchased the car in 1980 with a reproduction Shelby serial number tag and a seemingly clean New York title. Pardee also tracked down the original owner who was shocked to learn his Shelby was on eBay and more amazed that, although the bidding was only at $121,000, the value of the car might be closer to $150,000 or even $175,000. He contacted his insurance company and the police and wanted his car back. The car was taken off eBay and impounded, but didn't go back to the original owner. The insurance company had already paid off that claim a long time ago. Case closed.

The eBay seller was out of luck too, as he had no legitimate claim to the vehicle unfortunately. He is trying to work out an arrangement with the insurance company so he can perhaps repurchase his car from them and recoup some of his loss. Although he had paid for the vehicle back in 1980, the seller at that time was not legally able to sell the car, as he was an accomplice of the thief. So although he had possession of the vehicle for 26 years and watched the value skyrocket, he is not legally entitled to any of that windfall. Bummer for everybody except the insurance company and the thief ironically, as the statute of limitations has long since passed. A civil suit appears to be the eBay seller's only hope of justice. Read the whole story by following the link.


[Source: Sports Car Market]

Shelby GT350 stolen 26 years ago returned to insurance company, not owner originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Oct 2006 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If this doesn't make you chuckle, chances are nothing will. Dallas police apparently have an APB out for a stolen car with no description and no last known whereabouts. A vehicle used by Dallas police to catch unsuspecting would-be car thieves was stolen over the weekend. The "bait" car had been equipped with cameras, a remote engine kill switch, and some type of tracking system, but still managed to disappear sometime between Friday and Monday. Police were not releasing info about the type of car or the location of the theft because they are holding out hope that they may recover it. They believe it can be returned to their fleet and may be reused on future undercover operations.

This reminds us of the time the D.C. police chief had his car stolen from in front of his house. Police Chief Charles Ramsey was shocked to find an empty parking spot where he had recently parked his black Crown Victoria. At least it was unmarked. Or better yet the case of the stolen Boulder County Sheriff's Deputy K9 patrol vehicle, complete with canine. A suspect was pulled over for speeding and subsequently cuffed and buckled into the passenger seat of the patrol car for investigation of suspected DUI. While the deputy was checking out the suspect's vehicle, the suspect freed himself from the seatbelt, got his hands in front of him and took off with the poor dog in back. At least he was caught soon after and the dog was unharmed. And it can happen in other countries as well. Arab News reported a case of an officer walking out his front door to find an empty parking spot. He had to walk to the station to file a stolen vehicle report on his own car.

Maybe they should consider one of the theft prevention devices we've covered in the past:



[Sources: Dallas Morning News, NPR, Boulder County, Arab News]

Tipster: Richard R

Car theft "bait" car stolen originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Sep 2006 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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