Cars that are no longer in production can be hard to get parts for legally, but problems with the global supply chain (caused in part by the Ukraine war and the impact of Covid-19) as well as soaring inflationary pressures mean that spare parts for all models of vehicles have become harder to source affordably and quickly.
Long lead times on popular models of cars, as well as difficulty in purchasing some car makes in certain countries, also accounts for a rise in theft to order crimes. This is where criminals steal a specific make, model, and specification of car to order, which is then shipped abroad and sold on the black-market.
Much of the rise in vehicle thefts can be attributed to keyless car theft (also known as “relay theft”). As the name suggests, this involves stealing a vehicle without needing the key to do so.