The Metropolitan Police has acquired possession of a 1995 Ferrari F512M, which was stolen from Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger during the San Marino Grand Prix in Italy nearly thirty years ago.
Acting on information provided by Ferrari itself, the Met initiated an investigation when the car was being purchased in late 2023 from a UK broker by a buyer in the US. Ferrari’s investigation revealed that the car was one of two stolen from the race track in 1995, and further inquiries indicated that it had been shipped to Japan immediately afterward.
The Metropolitan Police conducted a thorough investigation spanning four days to trace the Ferrari’s history. PC Mike Pilbeam, the officer leading the inquiry, stated, “The stolen Ferrari, valued at approximately £350,000, remained missing for over 28 years before we located it in just four days.”
The investigation involved meticulous efforts, including collaboration with authorities worldwide, the National Crime Agency, Ferrari, and international car dealerships. This joint effort was crucial in unraveling the vehicle’s background and preventing its departure from the country.
Regrettably, the whereabouts of the second stolen Ferrari remain unknown, and the investigation has yet to result in any arrests, although ongoing inquiries are being conducted.
The successful recovery of the vehicle is attributed to the Metropolitan Police’s Organised Vehicle Crime Unit, which retrieved a total of 418 vehicles last year, amounting to a value of £31 million. The unit states that two-thirds of the crimes it handles are linked to organized crime.
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