Classic Ford owners are being urged to be vigilant following the theft of a number of historic vehicles over the past several months.
Three Ford Cortinas are known to have been stolen since June 2015, when a Highland Green MkV Estate was taken from its 80-year-old owner in West Norwood, London. The car was fitted with a distinctive roof rack and orange polybushes, as well as pop-riveted bumper end caps.
Just a month later a 1949 Ford F-1 pickup truck was stolen from outside its owner’s house in St Osyth, Essex. The pickup featured a red oxide cab, bonnet and tailgate, with contrasting black wings. It was also fitted with a 351cu in V8 and rack and pinion steering.
A similar vehicle from the same year of production, which had been fully restored by its owner was then taken from Chelmsford, Essex on 15 October, before an apparent sighting at Tilbury Docks. This example was finished in gloss red.
More recently, a Thames 400E Camper that had been used to tour Europe extensively was stolen from its owner’s driveway in Ditton, Kent in the early ours of 19 December. It had a number of identifiable features, including a white pop-up roof with white and red stripes and several window stickers from the Dormobile Owners Club and St Helliers, Yorkshire.
The New Year was then marred by the theft of two Cortinas on 2 January, a brown MkIII being taken from Rochester, Kent, while a red MkV Crusader was stolen in Chatham, Kent within two hours of the first theft.
This week, a bronze MkIII Cortina was stolen from Camberwell, London and a 1970 Dodge Coronet went missing from the Isle of Sheppey, before the latter was reportedly sighted in Maidstone.
