Texas's most popular stolen "cars"

[Zambero]

If you conjure up which make of car might be the most popular with car thieves, the Honda Civic and Toyata Camry might come to mind. But the thieves in Texas apparently have other tastes in stolen vehicles. Not only do honest folks buy American down there, but the less-than-honest patriotic element also prefers to "steal American". The number one most commonly reported stolen vehicle in Texas is none other than the Chevy pickup. And what's the next most popular? You guessed it -- the Ford pickup. The Dodge pickup is no slouch either. Once again, the State of Texas is front and center with this exemplary "America First" attitude.

http://www.ebuild.com/guide/resources/product-news.asp?ID=241191&catCode=2167

[texas1928]

1. Well hell

How much loot can you carry in a Honda or Toyota? I mean really.

[Texasgal]

2. Huh?

Your point?

[Zambero]

3. Point?

The only point to be made is from the car, er... truck thieves themselves. The Texas stats seem to express a departure of sorts from the national preference in vehicle thefts. One theft is as bad as another I suppose. If there's any revealing truth in the article, it's that crooks in Texas have significantly different tastes than crooks in, for instance, Maryland or Connecticut.

[GOPisEvil]

4. I think there is also a higher percentage of trucks on the road here too.

I'm guessing, but I'd be willing to bet that Texans buy more trucks than other states, hence the skewing of the numbers.

[Zambero]

6. We have a high proportion of trucks here in Idaho as well

I'll try and track down the stolen vehicle data for Idaho and see how it compares. Maybe it's not a Texas phenomena as much as a local consumer market phenomena.

[Zambero]

8. O.K., Idaho crooks seem to prefer 4x4 GMC's

According to 2002 statistics (the most recent that I could locate). Chevy trucks (the most popular make with Texas crooks) placed a distant 7th on the Idaho list.

[Blue_Tires]

5. what's suprising about that?

Texans on average drive more pickups than other states, so it is only logical that similar vehicles are stolen for their parts content (remember, a parted out vehicle can worth 2-3 times as much as a whole one)

[XNASA]

7. I'm reminded of one of the worst commerical song earworns ever.

"Ford and Texas go hand in hand,
It's the only way to travel 'cross the Promised Land.
Just look around and you'll get the message,
Ford is the best in Texas."

This, of course, was for a PU truck commercial. I don't think I ever saw an American 'car' commercial in Houston. Some BMW and Lexus commercials, but for the most part, Chevy, Ford and Dodge only ran truck commercials.

PS. I always got a kick out of the 'Promised Land' reference. :rofl:

[Ron Green]

9. Lots of Texans really bought into that pick-'em-up-truck thang.

Traveling there always gives me the Willys.