Late-model cars worth $500,000 disappear in Hollywood-style heist

The four cars yet to be found include a 2012 Audi S6 Sedan. Photo / Supplied

A sophisticated Hollywood-style heist saw nine late-model cars worth $500,000 disappear overnight from a secure Auckland car storage facility.

Five of the cars have since been found hidden in an underground car park or abandoned, but the others - including a limited edition Audi valued at $280,000 - appear to have vanished.

Police are appealing for public sightings of the vehicles after the brazen heist at Tristram European's Wairau Park premises that began about 4pm on Saturday July 9 and lasted until about 9am the following day.

The stolen cars included a Shelby Mustang, an Audi S6 Sedan and three Volkswagen Amaroks.

Tristram European director Mark Hayward said it seemed like a professional operation, as the crooks were able to cut off the stringent security system and monitored alarms.

"It's pretty full on, it's like the movies."

The Wairau Park facility is a storage site where cars are kept while they are prepared for their owners or the shop floor.

"One of our employees actually intercepted them on Sunday morning, about 9am he drove up the driveway to see one one of the high performance cars leave the driveway with some guys in it."

Those responsible had moved between 25 and 30 cars to get away with the ones they took, causing damage to cars and property left behind.

Hayward said they also took 60 sets of keys to remaining cars, as well as tools and equipment.

"They are pretty clever but it wasn't the brands that you'd think people of this sort of calibre would be interested in. In terms of selling them on, some of the cars are limited edition, so it's quite a mysterious situation."

Waitemata Police Detective Scott Sherer said an "eagle-eyed" member of the public spotted some of the stolen cars, including the Mustang, at an underground car park on the following Monday.

The vehicles were covered.

Two days later, another car was found abandoned in a residential street in Glendene.

It is understood some of the cars were found with stolen numbers plates on, some of which had been stolen from other car dealerships and private vehicles around the city.

"At this point in time though I can't speculate on what the cars have been stolen for, or where they might be headed," said Sherer.

"It's fair to say that we have a number of possible scenarios that we're looking it. We've carried out a number of examinations on the cars that have been recovered and we have quite a few lines of enquiry that we're looking at."

He appealed for information or sightings of the cars, or suspicious activities in the area.

The four cars yet to be found are: A white 2016 VW Crafter van (rego JYJ506); a black 2016 VW Golf GTI (no rego); a black 2012 Audi S6 Sedan (GNU869) and a blue 2016 Toyota Yaris (rego DKG824).

• Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 09 213 7902 or to call anonymous tipline Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.