A new study has looked into the vehicles that were most commonly stolen during 2023, with nearly 6,000 examples of one model being taken by thieves.

Whilst England and Wales’ police forces noted a slight decrease in car crime compared to 2022, there were still more than 360,000 vehicles stolen.

According to data from This is Money, the Ford Fiesta was the most commonly stolen vehicle in 2023.

During the 12-month period, 5,976 examples were taken by criminals, with many being broken up for parts to sell on the black market.

While the model has been a popular choice since it first launched in 1976, Ford’s decision to axe the Fiesta has caused more criminals to steal examples in order to sell spare parts on the black market.

Similarly, a number of long-standing family cars also featured in This is Money’s data, with criminals typically taking them to ‘chop shops’, and backstreet garages, to be dismantled.

The larger Ford Focus was the second-most stolen car of 2023, with the company announcing that the final example is due to be built in 2025, whilst the Volkswagen Golf was also very commonly targeted by thieves.

Vauxhalls were also fairly popular choices for thieves, with the Corsa supermini, the best-selling supermini of 2023, ranking eighth and the long-standing Astra being the ninth most taken.

However, not all vehicles commonly targeted by thieves during 2023 were everyday family cars, with This is Money noting that many luxury brands feature in the top 10.

In particular, Jaguar Land Rover products were commonly taken by criminals, with the Range Rover Sport being the most popular, whilst the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3-Series were also included in the list.

While some of these cars will also be broken up for parts, the majority are quickly smuggled out of the country and sold to often unsuspecting buyers in countries in Africa and Asia.