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By now, you’re probably aware that car theft remains a big problem in Australia, with experts pointing the blame at key cloning devices used by thieves to gain entry into a car without the need for the legitimate key.
According to the latest Census data, the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated 64,400 households had reported their cars stolen, with 92 per cent experiencing at least a single incident between 2024 and 2025.
In Victoria alone, 32,013 motor vehicle theft offences were recorded last year, representing a 10 per cent increase from 2024 and the highest number in more than 20 years.
And while authorities continue to urge local motorists to install aftermarket tools such as OBD port locks or steering wheel locks to prevent thieves from getting inside the car and driving it away, some European thieves have started targeting a feature on the exterior of the car.
According to numerous overseas reports, crooks in the Netherlands have been stealing side mirrors from luxury vehicles in popular cities such as Amsterdam and reselling them on the black market.
The issue has gotten so prevalent that some exotic car owners are taking matters into their own hands.
In a video uploaded by travel content creator @exploreamsterdamwithme on Instagram, some drivers have started wrapping their side wing mirrors in locked security bags to reduce the risk of being targeted.
Among the cars spotted in the video were several Porsche models, a Ferrari Purosangue (from $728,000 before on-road costs) and an Aston Martin DBX (from $462,500), to name a few.
According to the content creator, the side wing mirrors allegedly fetch anywhere from €500 (AUD$833) to €1500 (AUD$2500) due to their cameras, sensors, and other electronics.
The Instagram user claimed local suburbs, including Rivierenbuurt, Zuidas and Oud-Zuid, are hotbeds for crime due to the large concentration of luxury cars coupled with the lack of off-street parking and the availability of “quick escape routes for thieves”.
Some residents shared their experiences with the brazen theft on the Instagram post, with one user stating: “Our neighbourhood was hit, with 11 cars on our street alone targeted”.
“Our CCTV captured a lone white guy removing mirrors in seconds. Of course, the police don’t care,” they added.
It's not the first time side mirrors have been the focus of car thieves – in a 2019 report by the New York Post, local thieves stole side mirrors from 14 luxury cars from brands like Porsche, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW over one month on the affluent Upper West Side.
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
