Car security | Car theft in the 1980s | 1980s Cars | Wheels | 1981

'Wheels' Presenter Tony Bastable takes a look at the scourge of car theft in the UK and what can be done to try and protect your vehicle from would be thieves.
First shown: 29/10/1981
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Quote: VT25514

[@nysun6293]

Good old 80s security. Reminds me of our reprobate neighbour who used to get great pleasure unlocking my dad's 1981 Cortina with his dad's 1984 Transit key and releasing the handbrake and watching it roll down the road. What a tw#t he was. Good times!!!!

[@glpilpi6209]

Those Ford locks could wear over a few years till any other Ford key opened them. I opened my old Capri once with a coin . They were useless.

[@brunster64]

LOL I had a blue Cortina in the 80’s - yes and it got nicked, I remember the police saying I should get a VW as they were harder to nick

[@Monkey80llx]

That's the best impersonation of Tony i've seen. Just the genuinely humorous comment at the end that gave the game away 😆

[@tonyhancock3912]

The bloke cutting keys and going round pinching granadas ad-lib tickled old Tony

[@spankysmp]

Back in the Krooklock days. One of the guys in work still uses one, haven't a clue where he got it from, it's a proper retro one. PS - just realised, my hair isn't far off turning into an exact replica of Bastables due to lockdown. I knew the late 70s / early 80s would be back again one day.

[@nysun6293]

Get those flares dusted off!

[@callumhardy5098]

Back when isis was a motorcar hahaha

[@jusb1066]

there was none, ford used 5 different keys, and you could buy all 5 and drive any car with them, the rest wore out so any old screwdriver would open them, the infamous crooklock broke with a firm foot press

[@jusb1066]

@hffp1 indeed my dad's nissan lock was awful, you could take the key out while it ran.. my house key opened its doors

[@philnewstead5388]

In the sixties BMC cars came with the key number stamped on the face of the ignition lock.

[@Rassilon72]

Interesting to hear the phrase 'joy riding' in this item. I didn't realise that such a phrase was in use back then, and thought it was a much more recent term.

[@jusb1066]

precisley when it was coined, due to to terrible car security and rise in crime of the 80s

[@mikeb6385]

Hardly seems worth the effort of nicking a left hand drive and converting it to sell in uk when you could just as easily nick a rhd in the first place...

[@robertwilliams9043]

My mum had a Mini 1275 GT and I could open the door by pressing my thumb on the lock and turning it! She had it for years and it never got touched, but when we sold it, it was stolen from outside the new owners house about an hour after they parked it!

[@lukemiles88]

I bet car crime got worse after this aired, it's basically a how-to guide, complete with quotes like "I defy anyone to tell me which one is the original and which one is the forgery", "there's people who can manufacture keys to order" and "you make it sound like there's not much we can do"... "there's a lot of truth in that" 😂

[@philnewstead5388]

Luke Miles when police gave an honest answer when interviewed rather than a political one. Can you imagine if a senior police officer gave a frank answer like that today there'd be calls for his resignation, a public enquiry and for a commission to be set up to investigate why the problem exists all costing millions of pounds that would be better spent on more officers to tackle the problem at source.

[@WelshyM]

Thank goodness my old man had a "brown" Cortina Ghia back in 1981!🤣

[@S7EVE_P]

I'm sure Steve Coogan modelled aspects of his character Alan Partridge on Tony.....the way he put his foot up on the bumper or the way he laughed at "steeling granadas ad-lib"!! I'm a huge fan of both of them, good old days of TV

[@vanderark89]

1978 Vauxhall Chevette estate. It came with keys but I don’t remember anyone using them other than starting the engine.

[@vanderark89]

Gave him a laugh!

[@GiantLeninHead]

The thumbnail makes Tony look like Barry Evans from Mind Your Language

[@johnathanryan2117]

That copper. Told it like it is and no fannying about talking in riddles . The days when you spoke to folk and got straight answers. Tony Bastable straight as a die too

[@melgrant7404]

Its Alan Partridge again

[@mikeb6385]

Loved the story of the policeman buying the nicked car, so did the guy telling it.

[@justq6532]

Ahhhh old days..

[@myname7284]

back in the 90s you could remove a ford boot lock go to crystal ford with the number from it or lock itself and get a key cut for 6 quid madness

[@SuperZedd]

He had to Nick it 😂

[@BossySwan]

Terry Tibbs Motor Co

[@crazyfishmonster459]

Do you see the past through these ridiculous tropes all the time? You're as bad as people who watch these videos and compare the people to Monty Python characters.

[@BossySwan]

Coffee Arts What are you banging on about?!

[@richardtheeighth4431]

@@BossySwan Was thinking the same lol.😂😂

[@janeeccleston9196]

My dads blue cortina mk2 got nicked and was used in a robbery of a jewellery shop 😳😁

[@bernhardkuhn5676]

This Michael Woods looks like Sean Connerys brother....! 🙂

[@mollyfilms]

Tony B seems to be on trend with his Covid-19 hair style there!

[@mattcrooke8321]

Lee Curran I’m glad I’m not the only one watching this stuff lol

[@michael5089]

@@mattcrooke8321 And me!!!!

[@Stevie17ish]

Too many comments spring to mind! Heehee! 😉

[@chalkfarmcarsquadso1664]

O wow. Ocgsvu

[@risah9692]

Stolen car story loll 😅