Man Steals $729K Ferrari After Test Drive - "This took a lot of planning," said Det. Charles Craig

Charlotte Observer ^ | 09/26/03 | Staff Writer

[bedolido]

ARDMORE, Pa. - Where do you hide a $729,000 Ferrari during rush hour? That's what police in the Philadelphia suburbs want to know, after a con man drove off with a red Ferrari F50 during a test drive.

The Ferrari F50 - which can hit 60 mph in less than 4 seconds and tops out at 203 mph - hasn't been seen since.

Police theorize it was hustled into a trailer and quickly shipped overseas for sale on the black market.

The company made just 349 of the eye-popping Italian roadsters - described by one car-enthusiast Web site as "part Batmobile, part ballistic missile" - in 1995 to commemorate its 50th anniversary. It was designed to be a street version of a Formula One race car.

The thief, a nattily dressed man who claimed he had flown up from Atlanta and had a limo waiting nearby, took the test drive Sept. 16 without producing a license. The ID, he said, was in the wallet he had left at the airport.

The salesman from Algar Ferrari in Rosemont first took the prospective buyer for a spin, then let him get behind the wheel. During the test drive, the man - clean-cut and sporting a shirt, tie and apparent Rolex watch - pulled to the side of the road and asked the salesman to drive back to the dealership.

When the salesman got out, the thief sped off.

Police were summoned, but never spotted the vehicle. Now they're looking for the con man, described as a 6-foot, slender white male with reddish-brown hair and glasses.

Lower Merion detectives believe he had help.

"This took a lot of planning," said Det. Charles J. Craig, the lead investigator.

Police are also exploring whether the case is tied to similar Ferrari thefts in North Carolina and Long Island, N.Y.

[mattdono]

Here's a picture...Pretty sweet.

[EggsAckley]

A $729,000 vehicle, and they let him drive it without an ID??


Stupid stupid stupid.

Wondering if maybe it was an inside job, and the dealer will collect on the insurance???

[dirtboy]

I used to live in Ardmore. I would have noticed someone driving a Ferrari onto a trailer if I had seen it - in fact, I would have noticed ANY Ferrari. I used to drive past that dealership in Rosemont all the time.

[mattdono]

I still love the classic 328 GTS (Magnum P.I.-style)

[Pukin Dog]

The salesman was last seen on a corner with a sign: "I will work for food".

[ZGuy]

You'd think a LO-JACK would have been installed as standard equipment.

[DoctorHydrocal]

Next time...http://www.lojack.com/

[Tijeras_Slim]

Wasn't me. That thing would high center just getting into my driveway.

[Warren]

Damn, I want one. Be a bummer to have to pay registration fees in Calif.

[Warren]

No Lo-Jack, but definitely a Hi-Jack.

[r9etb]

The salesman was last seen on a corner with a sign: "I will work for food".

Well, in the guy's defense the test drive itself seems pretty innocuous -- he was in the car with the perp right up until the guy tricked him with a fake Chinese fire drill.

[southernnorthcarolina]

$729,000 for a car?

Dang, I can remember when you could buy a pretty decent house fot that kind of money.

[Phantom Lord]

My friend has one of those. They are a lot of fun.

[Servant of the 9]

The Police need a Ferrari "Enzo" to catch these older F-40s and F-50s.

So9

[txzman]

Lol! That was a long time ago :)

[BSunday]

Now THAT...is a real car.

Pinging Mr. Brouwer

[Servant of the 9]

Dang, I can remember when you could buy a pretty decent house fot that kind of money

Dang, I can remember when you could buy a pretty decent Plantaation for that kind of money.

So9

[Southack]

The Enzo killed the market for the F50. All three of the yellow F50's are currently for sale, and the red F50's are down to $600k on the up front asking price.

[Orangedog]

Nope...I'd take a Daytona-Spyder over that one any day of the week (like I'll ever have to make that choice).