Posted on 09/26/2009 12:20:17 PM PDT by WesternCulture
A Ferrari worth 3 million kronor ($434,000) was left nursing a crumpled front end after a hapless Swedish motor vehicle inspection driver took it for an impromptu spin.
The Ferrari F40 had been recently imported into Sweden by Von Braun Sports Cars in Skene in southern Sweden and was duly subjected to a routine registration inspection in nearby Kinna on Thursday.
But when the state-owned Swedish Motor Vehicle Inspection Company (Bilprovningen) driver sat behind the wheel of the powerful Italian sports car something went seriously awry and the vehicle lurched into a fence in the test area.
"It is not an easy vehicle to handle, if you are not used to it. A thoroughbred you could say," Torbjörn von Braun, CEO of Von Braun Sports Cars, told The Local on Friday.
The red Ferrari sustained damage to its front end in the crash which left the driver shaken from his experience.
"I spoke to him yesterday and he wasn't feeling too good about it, I don't think he would have slept much last night," von Braun told The Local.
Thorbjörn von Braun told The Local that the issue of reponsibility had not yet been established.
"It is an issue for our insurance company."
While the vehicle is a rare "collector's item" von Braun explained that the damage is repairable and the car would be back on the road before long.
"Had it been performing on a race track they would have had the body part ready and replaced within 20 minutes. It is expensive, but can be repaired," he told The Local.
Hey!
An iconic Ferrari you’ve got to handle like a young, barely legal woman. You know, soft touches.
It’s not like driving around in a Swedish tank in the freezing cold of Lapland:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZZz4cB43JE
"hapless" must be Swedish for "stupid."
noooo! my car!
issue of responsibility??
I don’t think he was supposed to be driving the car. I doubt he had permission. Sounds like auto theft and he should be liable for damages... his employer, their gov, should pay up too.
Nice going, Mr. Vehicle Inspector. Get ready for exorbitant insurance rates from here on out, if they don’t drop you outright.
This guy most likely have his wages garnished at his next job.
Yes. Too much power. Went to his, er foot!
Vehicle inspector = douche bag
I have had the pleasure of driving an f40 and I must say, iconic is an understatement. I still get a “tingly feeling up my leg” thinking about it.
This is almost a capital crime!
The best way to drive one of those is to hold the gas pedal to the floor, and then pop the clutch. That way you accelerate smoothly from rest (no lurching involved). While burning most of the rubber off the tires, tires are cheaper than front ends and your fellow burger-flippers will think you are so cool.
“Too much power”
Like that young kid who accidentally dragged his father to his death when his father let him drive his Porsche Cayenne recently at night.
“It is not an easy vehicle to handle, if you are not used to it. A thoroughbred you could say,” Torbjörn von Braun, CEO of Von Braun Sports Cars, told The Local on Friday.”
I’ve read several articles stating that the F40 is not a car for novices, even by supercar standards. Very easy to “put it in the weeds”, especially if the turbo lag/spool takes you by surprise (or so I’ve read).
Interestingly (or not) the F50 is supposed to be remarkably well-mannered, at least by supercar standards.
Be thankful the guy wasn’t named Kennedy.
Those government employees just CONTINUE to impress, huh!
FWIW, isn't this the country where moving violations are fined according to your net worth? So if the owner was caught for ‘reckless’ driving, he could be fined hundreds of thousands? the bureaucrat? probably $50.
- Yes, probably.
Anyhow, my best friend's friend once owned a brand new, shiny Ferrari. Four years later, everyone referred to it as “that sh*tty wreck”.
Over here in Sweden, the (close to) luxury station wagon of the Volvo V70/XC70 is the best selling car.
Earlier today, my father and I watched a game of soccer at a bar in central Gothenburg. I was looking at the Audi Q7 taxi cabs passing by our bar window, thinking to myself “In what other countries do taxi companies use Audi Q7s?”.
Everyone in Sweden isn't rich, but each day I get more and more convinced we Swedes enjoy the highest standard of living on Earth - for whatever it's worth.
It's worth thousands of American lives. Those lives have paid for your freedom.
- Good point, but please remember Sweden has contributed to freedom too.
Sweden assisted Finland upon our eastern neighbor being attacked by Stalin. Around 50% of Finland's GDP of that time consisted of Swedish aid - and thousands of Swedish men volunteered too.
We Swedes have furthermore, singlehandedly, dealt with Russia time after time throughout history.
When will this be acknowledged?
Furthermore, What country cleared Northern Europe from Catholicism in the 17th century?
Let's stop whining and defend true Western values instead!
I am European and to me that, among other things, equals standing up for the ideals of our closest ally: America.
The average European has much more in common with Churchill than Chirac.
This is the perfect metaphor about Barry.
A vehicle inspector (Barry) behind the wheel of a powerful machine (U.S. economy) and runs it into a wall. Same result. Now it needs someone who knows what they’re doing to repair it.
Hmm. It’s funny how much an F40 looks like a kit car when it’s got a half-inch of dust and dirt on it.
Sure...
“Now it needs someone who knows what they’re doing to repair it.”
Paging Sarah Palin...
LOL LOL LOL LOL
If I ever drive a tank I promise to obey all stop signs
“If I ever drive a tank I promise to obey all stop signs”
- Good to hear that.
But as a tank driver, consideration’s the lást thing you owe all such superflous truck drivers
If given the chance (in my dreams!) of driving a Ferrari, I would INSIST
I get some professional instruction prior to driving the beautiful beast.
Because even a Hollywood celebrity can make a mess of one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Griffin
“He (Eddie Griffin) also made headlines in 2007 for crashing
an Enzo Ferrari.”
linked video on another Ferrari wreck:
http://cbs2.com/video/?id=
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=eddie+griffin+ferrari+crash&aq=f&aqi=&aq=&aqi=&oq=&fp=69ff31901b811ad
According to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Sweden during WWII ignored the greater moral issues and played both sides for profit.[20][page needed] During the war, he also referred to Sweden as “that small, coward country”.[25]
These cars can be a handful. I've ridden in a few, but never drove one.
How long should europe prostrate themselves before you and I for what the previous generations did?
America joined WWII to stop the war before it got to our shores. Freeing the europeans from the Germans was just a side effect of protecting our own interests.
I was looking over some WWII era automobile factory plants building aircraft. How lucky our “Rosie the Riveter” was to toil in complete security while the British and the european civilians suffered bombing of the population and potential invasion.
The geographical distances makes it easier to be tough in Michigan than it did in Sweden.
Our troops didn't stay in Michigan. They died in Europe.
Yes. Sweden is a shining example of what we fought for. With an average wage bordering on our poverty level, taxes over 50% and 80% of the workers in unions. I am glad you are so proud of socialism.
For Germany, the import of Swedish iron-ore was of extreme importance in its attempts to rebuild its military strength, despite the stipulations presented in the Treaty of Versailles. Prior to the Second World War, Germany was able to supply itself with only a quarter of its total iron-ore consumption per year, with the rest being imported from other countries. Sweden provided up to almost 60 percent of the iron-ore that was imported into Germany. Without the sixty percent of iron-ore imports coming from Sweden, Germany might possibly have not been capable of initiating the Second World War.
Something of interest to you devolve.
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Nice wheels but for most drivers the exotic Italian cars are a tad to low and lousy vision - and are not great for street driving -
As much as I love red sportcars -
Some of these cars would be embarrassed by the McLaren Mercedes SLR with the AC on high - and it is comfy to boot.
I’ll try to dig up a comparative list of stats later
Yes, I went back and looked at the picture and it really is low to the ground. You’d have to enter many a driveway at a sharp angle to prevent scrapping the bottom. Have to be careful parking next to a curb, etc.
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The interior is pretty Spartan and the seats put you down low
Driving in traffic or on the highway puts you in a big disadvantage
Some of the front-engined Ferrari coupe have better manners on the street yet still have screaming performance and excellent comfort - these same front-engined Ferrari’s in race trim do well against the Corvette ZO6, Porsches, Bimmers in GTP racing as in the American LeMans Series
The Corvette race-trim Zs won their class for a number of years at LeMans in France
I believe racing classes are changing now so a different mix may be ahead
Hopefully the Corvettes will still dominate and win - here and abroad
I watched the 24 Hours of LeMans this year and Corvettes were running 1-2 until one had problems and washed out - But the ‘Vette still won
Can't compare in comfort to my car with roominess and the soft leather seats that self adjust when you get in and have a lumbar pump for the small of your back.
You can drive for hours and not be uncomfortable. The high speed capacity has no use in normal driving. As you just wrote, they are mostly ‘raced’.
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You still love stoplights
Get the torque converter up on high stall and let ‘er rip
My family all make fun of me because I take off fast, so they all lean their heads back when the light turns green, lol!
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A heavy car with a big 4-barrel carb engine will often outjump a hot stocker off the line - for a bit
You slow down and wave goodbye as they zip towards the local speedtrap
We had ‘60 Pontiac Bonneville 4dr HT with the long extended deck trunk - 320hp 389ci Carter AFB 4-V carb
That big ol’ Poncho would jump a GTO easily - back then few cars ran radials or wide tires - they were not available then or rarely bought - the lighter hot cars would spin their tires unless running wide slicks - which would be death in the heavy rains in South Florida
The Bonneville sleeper became my rainy night or cold night car - My SCCA-mod TR3A for sunny days
Wonder if the tires seemed to wear out fast and if he wondered? Kinda kidding, I did a lot of driving but the racing was a seldom thing.
I remember you talking about one car that you used to drive into NYC because it was good in the rain.
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Rain?
My mucho modified
‘65 Corvair Corsa Turbo
I had the 3-story plus basement NYC shop/warehouse for playing with experimental tricks on suspension, turbo, engine, wheels, tires
NYC customers often came in with big cash up front and no rush on completion of mods
Some big black Caddy and Lincoln Limos they had special needs for
8”-9”-10” wide HD steel wheels, special progressive rate springs for cloud-like ride yet extra carry capacity and sporty handling
I used to trick up lots of NYPD LEO’s personal cars they used on the job
The NYPD owned cars handled worse than a NYC cab and were slower than an old clapped-out VW Bug
SW or LIMO front & rear stabilizer bars and springs, engines from LI and CT rod shops, mod ATs
No armor mods though
[‘65 Corvair Corsa Turbo]
Yes, maybe it was ‘snow’ but you have posted about using it to drive into NYC to work because it handled well in that type of weather.
[I had the 3-story plus basement NYC shop/warehouse for playing with experimental tricks on suspension, turbo, engine, wheels, tires]
You are the expert on all kinds of cars!
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