Noble factory theft
Discussion
Tuesday, January 25th, 2005
Press release for immediate publication
THREE NOBLES STOLEN IN FACTORY HEIST
Thieves broke into Noble Automotive’s Leicestershire HQ last night, stealing three Noble cars – an M12 GTO and two M400 models, one of which was brand new and awaiting delivery to a dealer. In total, the cars were worth £150,000.
The factory was burgled during Monday evening, and it has since been found that an out-sourced cleaning company failed to set the premises’ high-tech alarm system, which would have alerted police immediately.
Lee Noble, the company’s MD said: “The three stolen cars were driven away from the factory in convoy. But one of the thieves lost control of the Noble he was driving after less than a mile and the police retrieved it from a ditch. Given how unique the other two cars are, these criminals will have extraordinary difficulty selling them on. And since the cars are not homologated elsewhere in the world, selling them overseas will not be easy.”
Noble’s sky-blue coloured press demonstrator, which has appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world, is one of the stolen cars. Its registration is ‘M400 GTO’. The other, un-registered car is a silver-coloured model which was due for delivery to a dealer today.
Anyone with information about the stolen cars should contact Noble Automotive on 01455 844 052 immediately.
ENDS
Press release for immediate publication
THREE NOBLES STOLEN IN FACTORY HEIST
Thieves broke into Noble Automotive’s Leicestershire HQ last night, stealing three Noble cars – an M12 GTO and two M400 models, one of which was brand new and awaiting delivery to a dealer. In total, the cars were worth £150,000.
The factory was burgled during Monday evening, and it has since been found that an out-sourced cleaning company failed to set the premises’ high-tech alarm system, which would have alerted police immediately.
Lee Noble, the company’s MD said: “The three stolen cars were driven away from the factory in convoy. But one of the thieves lost control of the Noble he was driving after less than a mile and the police retrieved it from a ditch. Given how unique the other two cars are, these criminals will have extraordinary difficulty selling them on. And since the cars are not homologated elsewhere in the world, selling them overseas will not be easy.”
Noble’s sky-blue coloured press demonstrator, which has appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world, is one of the stolen cars. Its registration is ‘M400 GTO’. The other, un-registered car is a silver-coloured model which was due for delivery to a dealer today.
Anyone with information about the stolen cars should contact Noble Automotive on 01455 844 052 immediately.
ENDS
are caught.
Sorry to hear the bad news Simon.
I hope it all gets sorted out for the better.
I guess it could be a reflection on how sought after the cars are.
It reminds me of The Heist program recently on TV when the thieves stole a TVR Sagaris.
Hopefully the factory security system, i.e. CCTV, etc will have enough to catch these scumbags.
I hope it all gets sorted out for the better.
I guess it could be a reflection on how sought after the cars are.
It reminds me of The Heist program recently on TV when the thieves stole a TVR Sagaris.
Hopefully the factory security system, i.e. CCTV, etc will have enough to catch these scumbags.
JonRB said:
That's terrible. Sorry to hear it.
From experience, an added annoyance is that if "M400 GTO" isn't recovered then it will be a year before you can use the registration mark again.
Is that correct? I thought that if a car is stolen or written off the insurers, who have paid out to the policy holder, get to keep the registration??
micknall said:
The factory was burgled during Monday evening, and it has since been found that an out-sourced cleaning company failed to set the premises’ high-tech alarm system, which would have alerted police immediately.
Chinny-reckon! That'll be £50 bunged to the (temporary, just started the job) cleaner, then...Thats terrible! It seems very unlikely that on a night where the cleaning company didnt set the alarm thieves broke in. Unless the cleaners never set it.
If these cars werent stolen for joyriding you do have to wonder what would happen to them. I guess the only reasonable option for the thieves would be to strip them for parts.
But even then, it implies a level of organisation thats a bit inconsistent with stacking one of the cars straightaway!
If these cars werent stolen for joyriding you do have to wonder what would happen to them. I guess the only reasonable option for the thieves would be to strip them for parts.
But even then, it implies a level of organisation thats a bit inconsistent with stacking one of the cars straightaway!
Yep for some reason the words 'inside job' popped into my head.
Hope you get them back intact. They clearly aren't very bright stealing cars like this. Hardly inconspicious or easy to sell.
Chris - just because you are organised enough to steal a car (er how hard is that anyway...) doesn't mean you can drive one competently! I bet they just put their foot down having never been in something that can do 100 in 8ish secs.
>> Edited by DanH on Tuesday 25th January 14:45
It wasn't me, Guv, I was out of the country!
That's too much of a coinsidence, the night the cleaners forgot to set the alarm is the very same night the factory gets stiffed ?!!!
Martin.
PS - Oaul, thet took the silver one coz it was so common! Less chance of standing out from the sheep
That's too much of a coinsidence, the night the cleaners forgot to set the alarm is the very same night the factory gets stiffed ?!!!
Martin.
PS - Oaul, thet took the silver one coz it was so common! Less chance of standing out from the sheep
AC79xxx said:Unfortunatly yes. If a car is stolen then you have to wait a year unless it is recovered, and then you can have a fight on your hands to get the registration number back.
Is that correct? I thought that if a car is stolen or written off the insurers, who have paid out to the policy holder, get to keep the registration??
I know, it happened to us. Fortunatly the car was eventually found, but it still took 8 months to get the reg number onto the replacement car.
DVLA at its best
J
Bad news, sorry factory!
These guys may not be Muppets (OK, one of them can't drive and must be looking particularly sheepish somewhere right now!) - surely there's no way that they don't (didn't) have a plan for three Noble's (one maybe, but not three). I can only think that the destination has lots of sand myself!
Regarding insurance - BUMMER, mine's due for renewal this week - will let you know!
PS - suggest you tone down comments about the cleaning company - slanderous and all that! :-)
>> Edited by AMG Merc on Tuesday 25th January 15:32
These guys may not be Muppets (OK, one of them can't drive and must be looking particularly sheepish somewhere right now!) - surely there's no way that they don't (didn't) have a plan for three Noble's (one maybe, but not three). I can only think that the destination has lots of sand myself!
Regarding insurance - BUMMER, mine's due for renewal this week - will let you know!
PS - suggest you tone down comments about the cleaning company - slanderous and all that! :-)
>> Edited by AMG Merc on Tuesday 25th January 15:32
AMG Merc said:
Bad news, sorry factory!
These guys may not be Muppets (OK, one of them can't drive and must be looking particularly sheepish somewhere right now!) - surely there's no way that they don't (didn't) have a plan for three Noble's (one maybe, but not three). I can only think that the destination has lots of sand myself!
Regarding insurance - BUMMER, mine's due for renewal this week - will let you know!
PS - suggest you tone down comments about the cleaning company - slanderous and all that! :-)
>> Edited by AMG Merc on Tuesday 25th January 15:32
Not slander if its true! Also I only said what popped in my head nothing else.
I'd be a tad surprised if none of these cars had trackers...
Anyway time for the have I got news for you get out :
Alledgedly.
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