BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- Wealthy Moscowites are ponying up and paying big bucks for Bentleys, providing a tasty target for car thieves.

    Two stolen in the Russian capital this week brings the total this year to seven. Only one is known to have been recovered.

    Moscow police said Sunday the most recent theft was a Bentley Continental the owner valued at 340,000 U.S. dollars. She said her sky-blue luxury automobile was stolen overnight from a parking space near her apartment in the city's center.

    Also in the past week, police said a Bentley Continental was stolen from Olympic gold medalist Vladimir Zhmudsky, who played on the winning water polo team at the 1972 Summer Games.

    Bentley opened its first showroom in Moscow in 2003 and sold 40 cars that year. There are now more than 1,300 in the city, traffic police said.

    The market for imported luxury cars in Russia has sky-rocketed along with the country's oil-fed economy, even though prices are considerably higher than in Europe because of steep customs duties.

    As an increasing number of Russians have been able to afford a Mercedes — once the ultimate status symbol — the super rich have been turning to more exclusive makes. Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati also have been making strong inroads on the Russian market.

    (Agencies)