Cutlass Tops Thieves’ ‘Must-Have’ List

General Motors Corp.’s four-door Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme is not the kind of car that tops sales charts or thrills car lovers.

But one group has the Cutlass on its “must-have” list: thieves.

For the fourth year in a row, the Cutlass Supreme was the most stolen car in the United States. In fact, the three top positions are all held by Cutlass Supreme models built in the 1980s, according to an annual survey of the most stolen cars, conducted by CCC Information Services Inc.

Why would a thief want such a plain-Jane car whose basic contours haven’t changed in more than a decade?

The parts.

Parts are sold to repair shops, where they are used in the huge supply of old GM cars--Cutlass Supreme or otherwise since many GM parts are interchangeable, CCC Information Systems said.

California had the most stolen cars in 1995, followed by New York, Florida, Texas, Michigan and New Jersey. The California cars most frequently reported missing were predominantly American, while New York and New Jersey’s most-stolen were Japanese.

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Ripe for Ripping Off

The 10 most stolen cars:

1. 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

2. 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

3. 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

4. 1988 Honda Accord LX

5. 1994 Honda Accord EX

6. 1994 Toyota Camry LE

7. 1991 Honda Accord EX

8. 1987 Chevrolet Caprice

9. 1992 Honda Accord EX

10. 1990 Honda Accord EX

Source: CCC Information Services