How freight lift became unexpected social media star in Louvre heist

BERLIN -- Forget France: The Louvre Museum jewelry heist was a classic case of German efficiency.

Photos of a German-made freight lift that the thieves used in a lightning-fast daylight heist at the Louvre have gone viral. And its manufacturer is now riding high from the unexpected endorsement.

Alexander Böcker, the managing director and third-generation owner of Böcker Maschinenwerke GmbH, told The Associated Press that when he and his wife saw the images online, they were "shocked that our lift had been misused for this robbery."

"Once the initial shock had subsided, black humour took over," he wrote in an email to the AP.

Authorities say the thieves spent less than four minutes inside the Louvre on Sunday morning. They wheeled the freight lift up to the museum, rode the basket up t