British police have found the sports car that was stolen almost 29 years ago from the legendary Austrian Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger.
His Ferrari was stolen in April 1995 in Italy, during the San Marino Grand Prix at the Imola circuit, foreign news agencies report.
The car, worth around 400.000 euros, has now been seized, London’s Metropolitan Police announced yesterday. Berger and another F1 star, Frenchman Jean Alesi, lost their personal cars on the same day in April 1995, when thieves stole them near the Imola track.
The Austrian then explained that his red F512M Testarossa disappeared from outside his hotel.
The London Metropolitan Police stated that they launched an investigation in January after receiving a report from Ferrari, which inspected the car purchased by an American buyer through a British broker last year.
Ferrari stated in the report that the car was stolen. Investigators from the unit specialized in organized crime then launched an extensive investigation. The car was sent to Japan shortly after being stolen until it was brought to the United Kingdom (UK) at the end of 2023. The vehicle was then seized to prevent export.
For now, no arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. In addition to the red Ferrari F512M, another sports car was stolen in Italy and has yet to be found.
Berger, who was a member of Ferrari at the time, was among the famous figures who owned a Testarossa, along with Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, and Elton John.
The Ferrari F512M was the last version of the legendary Testarossa by the Italian car manufacturer. Around 500 were produced between 1994 and 1996, Klix.ba reports.
Image courtesy: Metropolitan Police