Car thieves are stealing some of the most desirable cars and selling them on the black market for as little as £1,000, according to vehicle protection and management technology provider AX.

The most sought-after vehicles – usually those with a higher street value – include models from prestige brands such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes.

Despite costing from between £18,000-£100,000 to buy new, the vehicles are stolen and quickly sold on for a fraction of their retail or used value – sometimes for just £1,000. 

The investigation by AX further exposes the activities of car theft gangs as Home Office figures show the number of vehicles stolen in Britain has almost doubled in the last five years.

According to an AX source, criminals have put a black-market value of just £1,000 on an Audi A1, while a Range Rover, which costs upwards of £80,000 when new, will go for £1,500-2,000. Once the theft has occurred, the vehicles are typically sold rapidly to a known network which then exports or dismantles them for parts.

The BMW 3 Series, a popular model for fleets, was given a  black market value of just £1,500-£1,800.

Director of Investigative Services at AX Neil Thomas said: “The list is quite shocking, despite my 30 years working in the police force. We know how the criminals operate but, with the UK theft figures in mind, it’s a sharp reminder of the problem car owners and the industry faces.

“Rather than the cars that are stolen most in the UK, this list represents the criminals’ wish list of preferred targets. A typical, current Ford Fiesta, for example, would change hands for little more than £200.

“Business and private owners alike are affected by the increase in thefts, so it’s paramount to take precautions to avoid being targeted, or ensure vehicles have robust covert technology so that they can be recovered. Most tracking devices are simply removed after being stolen.” 

Last month, AX revealed that criminals are using WhatsApp groups to plan and execute car thefts as the UK vehicle crime wave continues, while further research also indicates the growing use of messaging application Telegram for organised vehicle theft.

In 2017-18, nearly 112,000 cars were taken illegally, up from 75,308 in the 2013-14 financial year.

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