THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Monday, January 27, 1997              TAG: 9701270088
SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY BRIAN S. AKRE ASSOCIATED PRESS 
DATELINE: DETROIT                           LENGTH:   64 lines

HONDA ACCORD FAVORITE BY A MILE AMONG THIEVES

The Honda Accord is hot - with thieves.

It was no contest last year, according to an annual list of the nation's most-stolen cars and trucks released Sunday. The 1994 Honda Accord EX was No. 1, the '88 Accord LX was second, and the '92 Accord LX was third. Other Accords ranked seventh, eighth, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th . . . you get the picture.

CCC Information Services Inc., which keeps track of such things for the insurance and body repair industries, said Honda's popular family sedan and coupe took 11 of the top 25 spots on its annual most-stolen list.

In taking the top spot, the Accord ousted the mid-'80s Oldsmobile Cutlass Supremes, which had held the most-stolen crown for the past four years and the top three spots in 1995.

The '84-'87 Cutlass Supremes are still on the list but have fallen to the fourth, sixth, 14th and 18th places. ``Now you're looking at a 12- or 13-year-old car,'' said Bill Geen, CCC's senior vice president. ``At that point, they start disappearing from use.''

The same features that made the Oldsmobiles popular with thieves ``helped'' the Accord win its dubious distinction. There are a lot of them on the road, so demand for their parts grows stronger as they start to age. Many parts are interchangeable from year to year and with other models.

Chicago-based CCC ranks the 100 most frequently stolen vehicles based on an analysis of its data from valuing stolen or damaged vehicles for insurance companies. ILLUSTRATION: The 25 most-stolen cars of 1996

1. 1994 Honda Accord EX

2. 1988 Honda Accord LX

3. 1992 Honda Accord LX

4. 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

5. 1995 Ford Mustang

6. 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

7. 1995 Honda Accord EX

8. 1990 Honda Accord EX

9. 1989 Toyota Camry

10. 1992 Honda Accord EX

11. 1989 Honda Accord LX

12. 1991 Honda Accord EX

13. 1991 Honda Accord LX

14. 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

15. 1995 Toyota Corolla

16. 1987 Chevrolet Caprice

17. 1986 Cadillac Deville

18. 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

19. 1990 Toyota Camry

20. 1988 Toyota Camry

21. 1991 Acura Legend

22. 1995 Toyota Camry LE

23. 1991 Honda Civic

24. 1994 Honda Accord LX

25. 1990 Honda Accord LX

Source: CCC Information Services Inc.

The 1994 Honda Accord EX, left, was the most-stolen car last

year.