Vehicle tracking and locating system

A vehicle tracking and locating method for providing information to a user about a vehicle of interest, the method comprising:

• storing in a database, data corresponding to vehicles, the data provided by a plurality of client sources, and saved as information records corresponding to each client source;
• transmitting a data request by the user, the data request corresponding to the vehicle of interest;
• receiving the data request in one of a plurality of communication formats;
• decoding the data request;
• obtaining information records from the database corresponding to the data request;
• and
• transmitting data of interest from the obtained information records to the user.

A vehicle tracking and locating method for providing information to a user about a vehicle of interest, the method comprising:

• using an external communication device, and encoding a record identifier of the motor vehicle of interest;
• communicating the encoded record identifier to a request server;
• receiving and decoding the encoded record identifier by the request server;
• obtaining information records from a database corresponding to the decoded record identifier, the database containing information records provided by a plurality of client sources, each information record in the database identified as corresponding to a client source;
• and
• transmitting data of interest from the obtained information records to the external communication device.