What is "Grand Theft Auto" ?

[Answerprancer]

If a car gets knicked over here it's dismissed as "twoccing" and (usually) settled happily for all three parties, but in America it's "Grand Theft Auto" - as if said with a huge church organ dischord. Why does America seem to consider the theft of a motorcar to be the most heinous crime of all ?
Or have I overlooked something ?

[MantaRay]

Most things get downplayed over here whilst in the USA everything is a big drama.

[exdc]

If a car is stolen then say sold abroad or stripped down etc then that is theft of motor vehicle. The offence of TWOC is used for the likes of joy-riders as the definition of theft can not usually be complete. There is the more serious offence of Aggravated TWOC which has a max sentence of 14 yrs if death is caused.

[Mosaic]

I wonder also if it is a national reaction to there not being a tradition of good universal public transport. Most people in most places seem absolutely reliant on owning a car andpeople seem to accept that they have to travel longer distances to amenities than we do in europe (like in australia). So taking someone's car has a bigger social impact.
Just a thought.

[chas2008]

this is only a recent thing in this country where it seems to have lost its seriousness, 20-25 years ago i know someone who stole a car and got 2 years and it was a 1st offence also similiar thing with a motorbike the guy got 6 months. Also around that time there war cars being stolen for rallying Audi Quattro being one the little group who was responsible for this got 4 years from what i can remember, a slap on the wrist and a bit of community service now.
The british law seems to have lost the plot somewhere, awhile back it was supposed to be a manadatory 5 years for possesion of an unlicenced firearm, in reality it doesnt seem to happen.

[Milvus]

I think the difference with TWOC is that there is no presumption of theft in the offence. The car is taken or used for a short period, there is no attempt to permanently keep the car, change its appearance or plates etc.

[hc4361]

In the States there is theft and grand theft. Grand theft is when higher value property is stolen, so grand theft auto just means car theft.

[Answerprancer]

Thanks for the replies - it's just as I thought it seems.
The only way I can excuse our over dramatising 'solder' mis-pronouncing cousins is with the notion that, for many over there, the space between destinations is a lot bigger and possession of a car could be a matter of life and death in some circumstances.

[Answerprancer]

Sorry Mosaic, I overlooked your post and appreciate similar assumptions !