German authorities arrest man accused of rare Ferrari theft
July 5, 2021
German authorities have arrested a French national accused of stealing a rare Ferrari, according to an announcement Monday by prosecutors in the northwestern city of Düsseldorf.
The 45-year-old reportedly stole the 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO while taking it on a test drive in May 2019. The man posed as a prospective buyer and sped off in the vehicle after meeting with its owner.
The vehicle was later found in the town of Grevenbroich, which is located to the south-west of Düsseldorf.
Authorities managed to collect fingerprints belonging to the suspect. The man had been photographed shortly before the theft at a classic car show where the Ferrari was being shown.
The man had a criminal history in France, and had to serve a prison term there before being handed over to the German authorities.
The original owner of the car is reported to have been British Formula One racer Eddie Irvine. The vehicle is worth more than €2 million ($2.4 million).
Ferrari vehicles have been featured in famous television shows and movies such as Magnum, P.I., and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The car was also recently showcased in the 2019 sports drama film Ford v Ferrari.
Ferrari was founded in 1939 in Italy by entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari, and has since become one of the world's largest luxury car companies in terms of market capitalization.