BERGER’S FERRARI FOUND 28 YEARS AFTER STOLEN

During the San Marino Grand Prix in 1995, two Ferraris were stolen. Now, 28 years later, one of them has been found.

Gerhard Berger and fellow F1 driver Jean Alesi’s private cars were stolen on the same day in April 1995. It’s believed they were both stolen by a gang close to the Imola circuit where the Grand Prix took place that Sunday.

Berger’s model that was stolen outside his hotel room was a red F512M Testarossa.

In 2023, Ferrari was carrying out checks on a car that was bought by someone in the United States. The car was bought through a broker based in the United Kingdom.

Ferrari had suspicions that it might be a stolen model and alerted London’s Metropolitan Police who launched an investigation.

Four days later, it was discovered that it was in fact the Austrian racing driver’s Ferrari that was stolen outside his hotel in 1995.

The investigation revealed that shortly after being stolen, Berger’s Ferrari was shipped to Japan. It was only taken to the UK during the second half of 2023.

Officer Mike Pilbean said Ferrari helped them to identify the car.

“We worked quickly with partners including the National Crime Agency, as well as Ferrari and international car dealerships, and this collaboration was instrumental in understanding the vehicle’s background and stopping it from leaving (Japan).

It’s estimated that Berger’s Ferrari is valued at R8.4 million.

Image credit: Motor1