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Authorities in Michigan are investigating the brazen thefts of six Ford Mustang Shelby GT500s and over $1 million in stolen Ford Raptor trucks in separate incidents.
Police have not indicated if the heists are related, but the incidents point to a troubling trend brewing in the auto industry.
A Baker’s Dozen in Raptors Stolen
On June 10th, law enforcement was alerted to the theft of 13 Raptor trucks from the Ford production facility in Dearborn, MI. According to reports, evidence from the truck plant shows that several fences were rammed. Dearborn Police Commander Timothy McHale told Autoblog that suspects used one of the Raptor trucks to ram the fence—along with another Ford F-150.
The thieves made their escape by driving the trucks past facility security. Of the 13 stolen trucks, Commander McHale noted that five of the Ford Raptors had not been assigned VINs, and their status is unclear. The other eight trucks were found in various states of disassembly: several were missing wheels and other parts, while one was declared a total loss. Ford cannot resell any of these trucks, which start at around $70k.
Two Mustang Shelby GT500 Thefts in Six Months
In another daring heist, thieves drove six Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 coupes out of the facility gate—and past security—at approximately 3 a.m. on June 16th. The theft occurred at Ford’s Flat Rock facility. Plant officials immediately contacted the police, and an APB was issued to nearby law enforcement agencies.
These thieves lacked the sophistication of the truck thieves. The Mustangs were stored with very little fuel, so police in nearby communities were able to quickly recover three of the cars, making one arrest. The other three Mustang Shelby GT500s have not been found.
This was the second theft of these models from the Flat Rock plant in the last six months. In December, thieves made off with four of the pony cars. Police were able to recover only two of the cars, one of them with severe front-end damage.
Is the Parts Shortage Contributing to Thefts?
Of course, auto thefts are nothing new. Many owners of popular makes and models have headed out to their car in the morning, only to find parts like wheels and catalytic converters (or the entire vehicle) missing.
Other automakers have reported thefts from their facilities this year. Burglars accessed Stellantis facilities in February and March, pilfering several Ram trucks, Dodge Charger Hellcats, and a Jeep.
Neither law enforcement nor auto industry executives have indicated whether parts shortages are contributing to the apparent rise in thefts from production facilities.
Security Under Scrutiny
Ford and law enforcement officials haven’t said whether they believe these heists are coordinated with people inside the plant or if they’re large-scale “smash-and-grabs.”
But with a rise in auto plant burglaries totaling over $1 million in losses, expect automakers to scrutinize their security systems to head off future thefts.
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