A Dutch study of car theft data has found that brightly-colored cars are less likely to be stolen than their more commonly-colored counterparts.

Ben Vollaard, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Tilburg, analyzed car theft data in the Netherlands and found that colors like silver, black and blue were stolen at a much higher rate than rare colors like yellow or pink.

Black is the most commonly stolen color, although Vollaard partially attributes this to the popularity of black as a color for luxury vehicles like Mercedes or BMWs. Interestingly, a pink car has not been stolen in the Netherlands in the past three years.

Vollaard concludes that thieves steal brightly or uncommonly colored at an average rate of 40 percent less than other vehicles – about the same as a LoJack or other antitheft system.

The study speculates various reasons for the discrepancy, the strongest being that cars are often stolen for a specific export order, as was the case with a recent New York used car theft ring that was exporting stolen vehicles – specifically silver ones – to buyers in Senegal. Another possibility is that police could quickly spot a thief in a yellow car.

However, the bright color does come with a price. While it won’t cost anything extra at the dealer, a color like yellow can drive down a car’s resale value by about $1,000 dollars, according to the National Auto Auction Association.

New York used car drivers are a little bit safer after authorities busted a car theft ring that was targeting Toyota SUVs, Mercedes, BMWs, Infinities, and Range Rovers and reselling them in the U.S. and Senegal.

According to the New York Daily News, the thieves used a complicated system that involved two employees of Toyota dealerships. Several thieves were sent a description of a particular make and model, then the thieves found a car matching the description, using either a swiped key from the dealership or a laptop to hack the car’s computer system. In total, the extensive network comprised over twenty individuals, all of whom served specific roles within the organization.

“This is a big case for us – a yearlong investigation,” Attorney General Andrew Cuomo told the news source. “They had a sophisticated operation, but we had a sophisticated collaboration with the police force.”

The crooks stole cars off the streets in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. They also used contacts at dealerships and parking garages to swipe vehicles right off the lots. The cars were then shipped out of Newark to buyers in Senegal or sold elsewhere within the country.

Sometimes, used car owners are inspiring in how they can breathe new life into an old vehicle. That’s certainly the case with Antti Rahko, a Finnish immigrant who constructed a Frankenstein-esque monster of a ride out of two used Mercedes station wagons and parts of more than 40 other vehicles.

Rahko’s “Finnjet” certainly catches the eye, a 29-foot vehicle that puts limos to shame. The car boasts 36 mirrors, 89 lights, a microwave, TV, freezer, two air-conditoners and a sauna. It seats ten comfortably and achieves a surprisingly efficient 25 mpg.

The sight truly has to be seen to be believed. While some might jest at the car’s ridiculous nature, car enthusiasts consider it a work of art and engineering ingenuity. The Finnjet took top prize in two Houston Art Car Parades and has won numerous awards at similar festivals.

Rahko says the car is fully drivable, and even had the foresight to include a special system that allows it to negotiate tight corners. Rahko and his wife, Eini, recently drove the car from Florida to Canada.

Now, the eccentric owner will put the car up for sale on eBay, due to his failing health. Potential buyers will need to be quite serious bidders- the first bid had a price tag of $950,000, but failed to sell, so Rahko plans to relist it.

National used car dealer CarMax has announced a large increase in sales for the year, possibly signalling a return in confidence to American car consumers and a healthy period of growth for used car dealers.

According to Forbes, sales for the nationwide chain increased 27.8% year on year, to $2.3 billion. In addition, cost-cutting by the company helped total earnings rise 253%, to $101 million dollars from just $27 million one year ago.

Although the economy hurt sales, the used auto dealers are recovering quicker than automakers, as consumers look for deals off somewhat expensive new cars. Many are looking for late-model used cars, according to the news source.

CarMax’s stock enjoyed a small bump after the news hit, as did the stocks of several other companies related to the used car market.

Drivers can often get a better deal on a used car by bidding at an auto auction or talking to their local dealer rather than shopping at nationwide chains.