Years ago - 1970's - Ford Cortina / Escort - 1 key would start just about any of them. No damage.
A few years on - Austin Metro - steering column lock more difficult to "jiggle" ( more pins in the tumbler ) so a new method evolved of bodging a screwdriver hole in the door skin to access the door locking rods, and then "scaffing" the steering column lock and using the screwdriver to turn the switch box ( minus it's lock ) and start the engine.
Car manufacturers then beefed up the door locks with steel re-inforcing plates, and introduced micro-chips in the key fob linked to an immobiliser so that door wouldn't unlock and the engine would not start without the correct key being present.
This resulted in more of the "Car-Key" burglaries where the keys are stolen first - either from the owner directly, at a petrol station forecourt, stationary at traffic lights ( "jamming" ) from handbags / coat pockets etc., or by the hook & cane method through the owners letter box if keys are left in view, or even breaking into the owners house and searching for the keys or threatening the owner to hand them over.
What are car companies doing now ? - Introducing "biometric security" - where the owner / legitimate user will have to scan their thumb / finger print onto a dashboard reader. What will ( some ) car thieves do ? -
Likely knock the owner out and physically remove a finger or thumb !
Trust me this WILL happen - those who are out stealing high powered cars with these new security systems really don't care !
Anyone got a MkII Cortina for sale
Now - what's' all that got to do with civillianising the DUEO job at West Mids ?
