Will dh's £90K car make us a target for crime?

[idratherbeincognito]

Have changed my name for this to avoid accusations of being ostentatious.

Dh has a £90K sports care. There is a waiting list of 12-18 months....

I hadn't considered this before but a friend has suggested that we step up our security at our house (we are semi rural - not many neighbours) eg CCTV, and our alarm should be linked to a rapid response security firm rather than a just a simple auditory alarm (as per now). He suggested that dh might be followed in his car and our house targetted (with car theft in mind). The miscreants then might, seeing that our house looks 'promising', be tempted to break in rather than just filch the vehicle.

Has he watched to many police dramas or does he have a point?

(Feeling all sort of nervous and vulnerable atm, not helped by a murder in the village yesterday - aggravated burglary)

I wonder how much the car will have depreciated since this discussion began?

We live in a very low crime area but we have an above crime rate for car thefts. We have organised gangs that come into our area and target people with flash cars, break into their houses, steal their car keys and anything else they can find.

Oh - my dh would be SO jealous if this conversation. He's currently driving in our Seat Alhambra along the motorway, looking totally cool of course. He grips my arm hard everytime he sees an R8. I'm not with him you understand - just in case you thought I was MNting as we go!

Most cars are stolen to order - so rarer or more unusual cars aren't top of the list on the whole. Also, a car such as that would be far more easily recogniseable and would stand out too much in many areas - so less of a "easy" steal. Also harder to sell on for similar reasons.

There have been incidents in the midlands where people have been breaking into houses to get the keys for cars parked outside them. It was in the local paper. Extra security is probably beneficial.

I think unfortunately minor crimes, such as deliberate scrapes are likely as well as there are some idiotic jealous people out there.

I'd love an R8, although not that practical, but can't see how damaging one is beneficial to someone that's jealous?!

Top 10 cars stolen in UK in 2005:

Vauxhall Belmont
Vauxhall Astra Mk2
Ford Escort Mk3
Austin/Morris Metro
Vauxhall Nova
Ford Orion
Rover Metro
Austin/Morris Maestro
Austin/Morris Montego
Ford Fiesta Mks1, 2 and 3
Car thefts dropping

Also, newer cars less likely to be stolen, statistically, that older cars - because of teh cars having more anti-theft features on them.

I just saw an R8 down the road. Are you my neighbour??

Be careful, stealing flash cars is big business at the moment and they will do anything to get hold of the car keys as they want to make as least damage to the car as possible.

As, like you say, the R8 is only a 2-seater, what, may I ask is the family car that presumably you drive ?

You could have bought 2 brand new volvos and still had £45K change

"Not only that, there are lots of people who hate people who are rich" Amen to that! (waves at Cammelia)

largeblackandwhitecat - it hasn't depreciated at all - it has at least held its value or appreciated (due to the waiting list)

Thanks for the helpful advice on here (f off to the 'mumunists') - I am going to show thread to dh (you never know, he might re-think the R8)....and I shall be making security generally a No 1 priority

...and wannabee for the record, I don't think I claimed to be 'not well off' although obviously have to be circumspect since some tossers get hypersensitive and call you obscene or ostentatious (no win)

What makes you think I hate people who are rich

By the way, did your dh buy the car outright, or does he not actually own it

Oh I don't know Cammelia - lucky guess. Very bored of talking to you now btw.

(and for the record, you don't come across at all well on this thread...)

Listen to yourself

By the way, how much is your house worth

Canmmelia - honestly...a well meaning piece of advice, step away from the computer before you make an even bigger tit of yourself

hulababy,your facts may be right although not to sure esp about car thefts going down....
Thats the whole reason cars are not being broken into as much....because thiefs are not breaking into cars BUT attacking their owners and obtaining the keys = car theft!

Also, while folk demist/deice cars in the winter by running the engine while they have a brew in the warmth of their home, thieves again see this as a good opportunity..
so I say again, yeah break in's to cars may be low but thats coz they get the keys by whatever means.

Vauxhall Belmont
Vauxhall Astra Mk2
Ford Escort Mk3
Austin/Morris Metro
Vauxhall Nova
Ford Orion
Rover Metro
Austin/Morris Maestro
Austin/Morris Montego
Ford Fiesta Mks1, 2 and 3

2005, hula? Are you sure? Not 1995?

Lol @ idratherbeincognito

LOL, I am sure I know who you are

I lurve Audis, they are such good looking cars, lucky you and dh

We were broken into once, thieving bastards found dh's car keys, stood by window, pressed key fob, saw what type of car we had and threw key back into window

Enjoy your trips out minus children

wendywebber, how about 1955..? .

Well I wasn't sure quite how far to go back, shhhh

WW - yes, 2005 :here

I huess the stats do say it is older cars that are more likely to be stolen.

Certainly that is what I tend to read about with the TADA/car crime clients I have. New cars are just s much of a pain to steal in comparison.

The funny thing is all the seriously rich people I know have very ordinary vehicles because they don't want to be noticed/targetted

Oh God, is there an 'off' button? [rolls eyes]

As far as I am aware the Car Theft Index does take into account cars stolen via the stealing of keys and of stealing cars when left with engine running.

Find your car here - on the car theft index; tells you how much your car is at risk.