Classic Ferrari worth millions stolen on test drive

15 May 2019

Ferrari

Stolen

An opportunistic car "collector" used a test drive to make off with a Ferrari worth €2m ($2.2m; QR 8m).

The theif had expressed interest in buying a 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO, reported by the police in Germany. The theif arrived to the dealer in a taxi and two hours later, on a test drive, it was time to swap drivers. But when the seller stepped out of the car, the would-be buyer quickly hit the accelerator and vanished.

The car was later found in a garage. Police say the "historic vehicle" with 43,000km (27,000 miles) on the clock should be valued at more than €2m.

A listing for the car on the dealer's website says it once belonged to former Northern Ireland Formula 1 driver Eddie Irvine – who raced for Ferrari between 1996 and 1999.

Similar vehicles are frequently listed with prices around £1.5–2m, or above $3m in the US. They are often sold through specialist auctions at the likes of Sotheby's. Luckily for investigators, the distinctive car - in bright Italian "Rosso Corsa" red - attracted so much attention that it was quickly found on Tuesday evening after police appealed for witnesses.

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