Dodge Charger Is 'Classic,' But Newer Models Are Most Stolen
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles just last month announced it was doubling production of its high-demand 707-horspower SRT Hellcat lineup, which should help sate would-be buyers who feared getting robbed of the opportunity to own one of the absurdly powerful sports cars. But according to a new vehicle-theft report, Dodge muscle cars available for lawful purchase aren’t the only ones disappearing.
Related: Auto Theft Evolves As Cars Get Harder to Steal
The National Insurance Crime Bureau, the Des Plaines, Ill.-based auto-theft number crunchers, released a new study focusing on the Dodge Charger and its theft history during the past 3 1/2 decades. According to the periodic “Hot Wheels Classics” report, since 1981 — the first year NICB considers data reporting to be reliable — 44,453 of the iconic sport sedan have been stolen. That’s an average of more than 1,300 a year, a number that’s only been on the rise since the Charger’s return to production for the 2006 model year.
In fact, the 3,500 Chargers stolen in 2014 nearly doubled the number stolen back in 1981, at a time when auto theft — which declined by nearly half in the past decade alone — was far more common. Last year was the highest year on record for Charger thefts, followed by 2011, when there were 2,967 thefts, 2010 with 2,950, 2009 with 2,946, and 2013 with 2,931.
While NICB’s report is titled “Classics,” newer models have experienced the greatest number of thefts. The top five model years stolen were: 2006 (7,309), 2007 (6,059), 2008 (3,526), 2010 (2,737) and 2009 (1,564).
Charger theft ranged from 1,805 in 1981 to 1,577 in 1986 and then began to slide after production ceased in 1987. After that, figures dropped off precipitously, reaching a low of 55 in 2004 before spiking back up to 1,438 when the Charger resumed production nearly two decades later. Between 2006 and 2014, Charger theft increased by nearly 2 1/2 times.
As for all those eager buyers lining up for a 2016 Charger SRT Hellcat, FCA says customers can place orders starting the second week of this month, with production starting in September and deliveries in the fourth quarter. But buyer beware, roughly a third more Chargers were stolen in 2014 than, for example, Chevrolet Camaros — and the faster your Hellcat is, the faster thieves can make off with your new muscle car.
