Car theft has changed hugely over the decades. Some of the most stolen cars in British history were targets simply because they were everywhere and easy to break into. Others became prizes because of their performance, their parts, or a famous security flaw. Here is a tour through the cars that thieves could not resist and what made each one a magnet for trouble.

The Ford Cortina and Escort era

Through the 1970s and 1980s, the Ford Cortina and later the Escort topped the most stolen lists year after year. The reason was simple. They were the best-selling cars in the country, so there were millions on the road. Early models had basic locks that a determined thief could defeat in moments. The Escort XR3i and RS Turbo versions became hot property among joyriders chasing a fast hatchback.

The Vauxhall Astra and Cavalier

Vauxhall's volume sellers were close behind. The Astra and Cavalier were popular family cars with parts that were easy to sell on. A stolen car could be stripped within hours and its panels, engines and wheels sold through dodgy channels. High demand for spares kept these models firmly in thieves' sights.

The Volkswagen Golf GTI

The Golf GTI earned cult status as the hot hatch to own, which made it just as desirable to steal. Performance versions held their value, and there was a strong market for both the whole car and its parts. The GTI badge alone made it a target across Europe, not just in Britain.

The Rover and Austin Metro

British-built small cars like the Metro were everywhere in the 1980s and early 1990s. They were cheap, common and not exactly fortresses of security. Many were taken for short joyrides rather than resale, a pattern that defined a lot of car crime in that period before electronic immobilisers arrived.

The Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Evo

By the late 1990s and 2000s, fast Japanese imports became prime targets. The Subaru Impreza Turbo and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution were rally-bred rockets that thieves either kept for the thrill or broke for valuable performance parts. Their tuned engines and rare components were worth serious money on the grey market.

Why the immobiliser changed everything

The big turning point came when electronic immobilisers became standard in the late 1990s. Suddenly, hot-wiring an old Cortina trick no longer worked. Theft rates for older cars dropped sharply. But criminals adapted. Modern keyless cars now face relay attacks, where thieves amplify the signal from a key fob sitting inside your house to unlock and start the car on the driveway.

What it means for old cars today

Many of these once-stolen icons are now rare. The survivors that escaped both the thieves and the scrapyard have become collectible. Plenty of others reached the end of their lives and were recycled properly through licensed facilities. If you have an older motor that has finally given up, recycling it responsibly keeps it out of the wrong hands. You can read more about how vehicles are processed on our page covering our recycling centres.

There is a darker reason cars get stolen too. Some are taken to be broken for parts or sold for their scrap metal value, which is exactly why the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 made cash payments illegal. We explain that in our piece on why you cannot be paid cash for a scrap car.

A changing target list

From the humble Cortina to the keyless SUV, the most stolen car has always reflected what was popular, valuable and vulnerable at the time. Security has improved, but thieves keep finding new tricks. If your old car has reached the end of the road, the safest and greenest move is to get a scrap car quote and let a licensed team handle it properly.