The National Insurance Crime Bureau has conducted a study of reported “sporty” car thefts beginning on January 1st 2009 and ending on December 31st 2012 pertaining specifically to newer vehicles and with 782 reported thefts during that 4 year study, the Dodge Challenger was the third most commonly stolen car in America.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau study focused specifically on vehicles from the 2010, 2011 and 2012 model years so with the parameters of the study covering all of the 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 calendar years – this was basically a study of reported thefts of newer sports cars. The Dodge Challenger ranked 3rd on the list behind the Chevrolet Camaro (1,509 reported thefts) and the Ford Mustang (980 thefts). With the Camaro, Mustang and Challenger ranking 1st, 2nd and 3rd in sales among sporty vehicles for 2010, 2011 and 2012 (the Mustang lead in sporty car sales in 2009), it doesn’t come as any big surprise that the three bestselling sports cars sold in America are also the three most stolen cars in America. However, this news serves as proof that the Dodge Challenger is a hot commodity on the stolen car market so Mopar muscle car owners should take special care to make sure that their baby stays their baby.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau also offered up the locations around the country where sports cars are most likely to be stolen so if you drive a car on the list below, you will want to avoid California, Florida, Texas, Georgia and Michigan (in that order) with a special emphasis on specific cities including Long Beach CA, Atlanta GA, Miami FL, Long Island NY and Warren MI. (Seriously…Warren Michigan).
The Most Stolen Sporty Cars in America:
(Make, Model, Units Report Stolen During the Study)
Chevrolet Camaro 1,509
Ford Mustang 980
Dodge Challenger 782
Porsche Panamera 103
Audi A5/S5 101
Chevrolet Corvette 69
Nissan 370Z 47
BMW 6 Series 45
Porsche 911 24
Volkswagen Eos 23
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
