C7 Corvette in the Mojave desert. - WildSnap/ShutterstockIn the year of America's 250th birthday, and the 100th birthday of its most famous stretch of highway, some thieving ne're-do-wells stole two Corvettes and a Camaro from the 2026 Hot Rod Power Tour, and damaged a few others. Something American stolen on America's birthday? Seems on brand for 2026. More than 8,000 cars initially embarked on Hot Rod magazine's celebratory road trip, to honor Route 66's centennial, from Joliet, Illinois to Tulsa, Oklahoma. But to thieves, thousands of high-dollar cars driving in packs and parking en masse is like a hungry lion watching a herd of wildebeest. The thieves struck just as the tour was kicking off, while many of the people partaking in the tour were sleeping at a Holiday Inn & Suites in Joliet. Two Corvettes, one of which was a C7 Z06 with a Z07 package, and one Camaro were stolen, according to CBS, but a Chevy SS, another Camaro, and a Dodge Challenger were damaged. Read more: 12 Of The Largest Engines Ever BuiltNo one was caught but this wasn't an impulse crime, it was plannedC7 Corvette in the Mojave desert. - WildSnap/ShutterstockThis kind of crime hurts not only financially but emotionally. Car enthusiasts pour everything into their cars, especially if they're taking those cars on cross-country road trips with other enthusiasts. "People should step up and work a little harder instead of taking from other people. What's wrong with participating in humanity and giving instead of taking?" said the C7 Z06 owner, who chose to only be identified as Michael, per CBS. Michael was driving in the tour with his brother-in-law, who's car was also stolen. His brother-in-law's car was found in Dolton, Illinois, but it had sadly already been crashed. Joliet police coordinated with Dolton police, but the latter said that many people fled the crash and no one was caught. AdvertisementAdvertisementJoliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English said that while no one was caught, nor do police have any suspects they're willing to share, this seems like a coordinated effort. All of the owners of stolen cars still have their keys, so this was likely a planned theft with key fob-cloning devices. Police are encouraging anyone with any information to contact the Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force at 815-724-4677 or by email at tcat@joliet.gov. Hopefully, at least some of the owners can get their cars back unscathed.Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and add us as a preferred search source on Google.Read the original article on Jalopnik.
+54 others
