In the past two decades, fewer vehicles got stolen from their owners, relieving at least a bit of the fear we all have about our rides getting snatched. This is especially true for people (like us) who don't have the extra money to get a new ride immediately without looking back.
But the decrease in vehicle thefts doesn't mean they are completely out of fashion. If you look at the numbers provided by the FBI, the $7 billion lost to thefts in the USA during 2020 is still a devastating number. What's more, the Triple-I insurance company warns about thieves developing new stealing strategies.
So, what can you do on top of keeping your ride as secure as possible? Not much, except believing in police work. But you can buy a used car from dealerships with more caution because there's a whole another threat lurking around that can bring you plenty of trouble.
Thieves tend to switch vehicle identification numbers and sell them at shops without any issue. As a buyer, you may acquire a stolen vehicle and run into all kinds of problems even after years of use. Just remember that famous Chevrolet case from 2016. The stolen 1964 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray got returned to its owner after 40 years, which would be all great, if they had found it from the thief, and not a respective owner from the last 30 years.
Let's take a closer look at this interesting case and consider what can happen to the victims of car thieves and how you can protect yourself.
Swapped Vehicle Authentication Numbers Accidentally Revealed At A Show In 2016
The story behind the stolen Chevy goes back to 1976. Modesto Fleming had her classic muscle car parked in front of the house in Anaheim, California. Unfortunately, someone saw an opportunity to steal the 1964 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, and the owner had no luck in retrieving it for 40 years.
After such a long time passed and the car didn't appear, Fleming must have given up on the search. In fact, she probably did so several weeks or months after the theft, although she diligently reported the case to the local police department. In most cases, the police can't do a lot to retrieve the rides.
But something unusual happened forty years later. The 1964 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray appeared on a show, and a fan noticed the VIN didn't correspond to that of the Corvette. The owner responsibly reported the case to the Redbluff California Highway Patrol, and officer Dave Madrigal was assigned to check the VIN. It turned out that the number related to the Impala, not the Stingray, which meant the car was stolen.
With some detective work, the officer managed to locate the first owner of the 1964 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, and it was Fleming.
Madrigal recounted the case to Red Bluff Daily News: "I contacted Anaheim and advised them of the situation. They researched their micro fish for the stolen report and called me back. They then located the victim from 1976, who is currently living in Arizona, and told her we had her car."
The Classic Car Reunited With Its Original Owner, Who Got Ten Times The Bigger Value After 40 Years
The story about the stolen 1964 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray has a happy ending, but one that tastes bitter-sweet. Fleming got her car back after 40 years — that's the good news. But what about the owner, who had the Stingray for 30 years when he discovered its background?
The man who brought in the Stingray to responsibly check the VIN got the Stingray from his wife in 1987. She bought the car from a dealership that was long out of business in 2016. So, the trace ended there, and the thief will probably never get caught.
It's unclear from the news that we could find whether the current owner got any reimbursement when the Stingray went to Fleming. If not, this is a sad story. The owner didn't know the car was stolen when he invested his time and effort into keeping it in peak condition. All that would go to complete waste if the car was simply taken away from him.
What's more, when the car was stolen from Fleming, it was worth about $5,000. In 2016, Stingray bore the price tag of a whopping $50,000! She most definitely benefited from what seemed like a lost cause. We don't want to say the car shouldn't have been returned to the legitimate owner — we just hope that the second owner got some reimbursement for the lost vehicle. He did take it to a show to boast about his magnificent ride, after all.
The bottom line would be to check the VIN before buying a car. Do your due diligence and avoid these kinds of surprises.