Land Rover Defender Thefts Are Spiking in Great Britain
Now that Defender production has stopped, everyone wants what they can’t have.
Know the old saying “You always want what you can’t have?” Well, it's apparently more appropriate than ever in Great Britain, where Land Rover Defender thefts have been on the rise, according to police.
West Yorkshire Police recently reported they have seen an astounding 530 Defenders thefts over the past five years, according to Autocar, with 120 taken in the last year alone.
This increase in thefts may be a result of Land Rover stopping production of the Defender in January of last year. Although the United States is already accustomed to the rarity of the Defender, the lack of new production Land Rovers is a new tragedy for the U.K.—and thieves are apparently seizing the moment.
“We have seen an increase in Defender thefts recently. We think it’s due to a lack in availability of the vehicle,” Andy Barr, head of the police liaison department at car tracking company Tracker, said to Autocar.
Due to the fairly simple construction of the Defender, thieves are able to quickly disassemble the truck, thus making it easier for them to sell parts for cheap.
Organized gangs are allegedly stealing Defenders to fulfill orders
West Yorkshire isn’t the only area to see an increase in Defender thefts. North Yorkshire Police stated they've seen a 69 percent increase in Defender thefts last year.
Tracker's Andy Barr added that car thieves have started to operate in gangs, and are stealing specific types of Defenders to order. Wait, is this a Guy Richie meets Gone in 60 Seconds type situation? Because that would actually be kind of badass.
