High-performance cars targeted in two raids

Determined thieves targeting high-performance vehicles have struck at two North Shore car dealers within days.

It is not known whether the raids - at Archibald and Shorter in Wairau Rd on Wednesday and Milford Wholesale Cars in the early hours of yesterday morning - are connected, but boy-racer style cars were taken in both.

Milford Wholesale Cars owner Warwick Redfern was close to tears as he spoke of the raid in which his prized Mitsubishi Galant VR4 rally car was taken. A Mitsubishi Evo IV was also missing after thieves hacked a hole in the roof of his garage and climbed in using a hose ripped from the wall outside.

They cleared a path from the garage to a gate by breaking into and moving more than 15 other vehicles.

The trail of wreckage included four rental cars owned by a nearby business parked near the exit, five cars, including a Mercedes E320, in the driveway and another eight cars blocking the rally car inside the garage.

Each of the vehicles had a window smashed and the ignition area destroyed.

Mr Redfern estimated the total cost of the stolen cars and damage to the other vehicles at $60,000.

Police yesterday removed eight of the damaged cars for forensic testing.

Mr Redfern said he deliberately surrounded his rally car with other vehicles to deter theft.

"They have gone to an awesome amount of trouble."

Mr Redfern was concerned it was a personal attack rather than a straightforward theft. He had built and raced the distinctive yellow rally car and said he could identify every part of it.

He was at the South Auckland Car Club prizegiving on Saturday night collecting several awards, including the club championship trophy.

Mr Redfern is offering a reward for the recovery of his rally car.

Archibald and Shorter general manager David Wills said a white Subaru Impreza STi, worth between $40,000 and $50,000, was stolen in a ramraid on Wednesday night. The company had just taken over the dealership from Giltrap Subaru that day.

A car was driven through a fence about 1.6m high, which was then dragged across three vehicles parked in the yard.

Mr Wills said it was likely the Subaru was taken away by truck because an advanced security system made it almost impossible to hotwire.