To own a classic car is a dream come true for most car enthusiasts. Classic car collectors sacrifice much, even empty their pockets, in order to fulfil their dream of owning a particular car. Hence, the thought of losing a classic car is unbearable for any collector.
Such an incident occurred very recently in Indiana when four classic vehicles were stolen from outside three different hotels, leaving their owners in shock.
The classic cars that were stolen included a 1949 Chevrolet truck, a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle, a 1979 Chevrolet Short Box, and a 1987 Chevrolet Silverado. The stolen vehicles were all brought from Illinois and Michigan for the GoodGuys 3rd Speedway Nationals car show, held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The vehicles, worth tens of thousands of dollars, were all taken from locked trailers outside the hotels where the owners were staying.
It all started with a story from the Indianapolis Star about a missing Chevelle outside the Wingate Hotel. Further investigations led to three more missing car cases around the area outside different hotels. The owner of the Chevy Short Box, which was stolen outside Days Inn and Suites, was lucky enough to get his car back the day after it was stolen. Dennis Quin, the owner of the Chevy truck, watched helplessly from his hotel window at the Ramada as the thief drove away his classic truck. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is still investigating the case, and is yet to determine if the thefts are related to each other, or just a coincidence.
Frank Scafidi, the National Insurance Crime Bureau spokesman, commented that it is unlikely that the stolen classics would be dismantled, and the parts separated, as the thieves would definitely be aware that the cars are worth more as a whole. However, Lanny Wilhelm of Masterpiece Classic Cars in Whiteland, Indiana, who is a classic car collector turned dealer with forty years of experience in classic cars, says that there is a huge market for dismantling classic vehicles, extracting their parts, and distributing them in the country and abroad. The classic car becomes untraceable once it is dismantled.
The moral of the story? Secure your precious collector car well to prevent it from getting stolen or lost, either as a whole or in parts. Classic vehicles need more than a simple security system to ensure their protection; car owners need to add many layers of protection to make it difficult for thieves to steal their car.
Theft of a classic vehicle will not only create mental agony but will also result in a huge financial loss. At Classic Auto Insurance, you will get all the support you need to insure your car with suitable collector car insurance, and take care of it in the long run. For more information and a free classic car insurance quote, contact us at 888-901-1338.
Sources:
http://www.upi.com/
http://www.wishtv.com/news/local/classic-cars-stolen-outside-indy-hotels
About the Author
Drew Yagodnik is Vice President of Classic Automobile Insurance Agency, Inc. Classic Automobile Insurance Agency has been protecting collector, classic and exotics since 1992.
