Masked thieves smash their way into luxury car showroom and steal BMW and Mercedes worth £85,000 in Gone In 60 Seconds-style heist By Aidan Radnedge Published: 17:24, 20 August 2024 | Updated: 17:28, 20 August 2024 e-mail View comments Masked raiders have carried out a Gone In 60 Seconds-style heist by smashing into a luxury car showroom and making off with a Mercedes and a BMW valued at £85,000. The pair of hooded thieves blasted through windows before forcing open a key box and wedging apart the garage doors to speed out of a family-run car firm in Wales. Owners of Whitson Prestige Car Vehicle Sales & Brokerage say one of the cars, a BMW X3m, had already been sold.
It was due to be collected by a customer last Sunday morning, only for it to be stolen just hours earlier. Gwent Police are investigating the thefts which come amid reports of similar recent raids on car dealers across Newport. A pair of hooded thieves blasted through windows before forcing open a key box and wedged apart the garage doors to drive out of a family-run car firm in Wales Owners of Whitson Prestige Car Vehicle Sales & Brokerage have revealed images of the destruction wreaked by the raiders at their showroom in Newport Showroom owners and police have appealed for helping tracing the cars which included a BMW X3m with the registration LC71 VDX Also taken last Sunday was a Mercedes C43 with the registration RF19 JVN The firm run by father-and-son duo Rory and Jon Collingbourne said in a statement: 'We are completely devastated.
'As a family-run business, we have worked incredibly hard over the years to build a strong reputation for the sale of prestige and sports cars across the UK, and we take immense pride in delivering the highest standard of customer service to our clients every single day. 'To discover the extensive damage and the loss of vehicles on Sunday morning was devastating, I had to inform a client who was en route to collect their X3 M that the car had been stolen. 'We are also aware that we are one of multiple car thefts from Newport car dealers in the last few weeks, and we hope that justice is served for all those affected.
'We are determined to recover from this setback and will do everything in our power to continue serving our valued customers with the excellence they have come to expect from us.' In a Facebook video, co-owner Rory, who arrived at the showroom to find the destruction, said: 'Words cannot express how upset we are right now. 'The vehicles that were taken were a BMW X3m with the registration LC71 VDX and a Mercedes C43 with the registration RF19 JVN.
' The two thieves are believed to have arrived at the property in Goldcliff, Newport, in a Ford Focus at about 4am last Sunday. The pair's actions have been compared to 2000 movie Gone In 60 Seconds, starring Nicolas Cage as a master car thief stealing 50 vehicles in one night and also featuring Angelina Jolie . CCTV images have been issued of the raiders and anyone with information is asked to contact Gwent Police.
The pair of hooded thieves smashed their way through showroom windows to make off with a luxury Mercedes and BMW They forced open a key box and wedged open the garage doors to drive out of the family-run car firm in a quickfire robbery CCTV images have been issued and anyone with information is asked to contact Gwent Police The heist was reminiscent of Gone In 60 Seconds starring Angelina Jolie and Nicolas Cage The 2000 movie Gone In 60 Seconds featured Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage as a master car thief named Randall 'Memphis' Raines who steals 50 vehicles in one night Co-star Angelina Jolie appeared as Cage's character's ex-girlfriend Sara 'Sway' Wayland A spokesperson for the force said: 'We received a report of a burglary at a property in Whitson Road, Newport at around 9am on Sunday 18 August. 'Between 3am and 4.30 on Sunday 18 August, an unknown person or persons have allegedly smashed a glass door and entered the address.
'Two cars, a black BMW X3 and a white Mercedes, and a designer briefcase were reportedly taken. 'Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact us online, on social media or by calling 101 and quoting log reference 2400276638.' Wales Share or comment on this article: Masked thieves smash their way into luxury car showroom and steal BMW and Mercedes worth £85,000 in Gone In 60 Seconds-style heist e-mail Add comment.
