There is a company that has been in business for more than 32 years, and which boasts that they have had a 100% success rate for their vehicle anti-theft device. Sounds highly improbable, doesn’t it? Otherwise, everyone would surely have heard of the Ravelco. You never heard of it, either, right? Well, that may soon change. Since 2001, several manufacturers of specialty vehicles, including fire trucks and rescue equipment, have been installing this little gadget to prevent theft. And it’s working. It’s also worth a closer look.

The Ravelco is a simple, plain looking little metal plug with a bunch of male pins randomly grouped within it. The male pins on one side of the plug slide into the female holes on the other side of the plug, which is installed on the dashboard some where, often near the ignition. It actually looks more like an air freshener disk rather than a device that will keep your car secure, but it apparently does what it claims to do.

When the two disks are merged, the car is fully operational. But, when the male side of the disk is removed, then several of the car’s systems (such as the fuel shutoff and the electrical system) will cease to function. The car is basically immobilized, and even a thief with extensive hot wiring experience will be confused, since the rewiring with the Ravelco so perfectly matches the car’s original wiring. The professional installer will randomly select the systems which will be affected, and no two installations are the same.

The pins of the Ravelco are configured differently from one to the next. Only two identical male pin plugs are made for each female plug, and if you lose one you will have to arrange with the company for a replacement to be made. The male part of the Ravelco also holds your car keys, so it’s near impossible to lose one without the other. If you do misplace your keys and the attached Ravelco male plug, at least you can take some small comfort from the fact that if you can’t drive your own car neither any can anyone else.