In 2003, the 1996 Ferrari F50, which can be seen in the photo, was stolen from a luxury hotel parking lot in Italy. Paolo Provenzi, the previous owner, had bought the Ferrari for $309,500 but received no insurance payout and had to accept the loss when the police couldn’t find the vintage car.
However, the Ferrari F50 unexpectedly reappeared in late 2019 at the US-Canada border when it was being transported to its new owner in Florida, USA. CNN reported that US customs found several suspicious features of the F50, such as the blacked-out VIN plate studs, suggesting that this aspect may have been tampered to make the supercar appear legitimate.
The F50 was then immediately seized by US customs, who contacted Ferrari and investigative authorities. The truth was soon revealed – it was the stolen car from 2003 that had embarked on a world tour before finding its way back to the US. Now, the government needs to step in to determine the rightful owner of this vintage car, which is valued at no less than $2 million.
The former owner, Paolo Provenzi, mentioned that he hadn’t heard any news about the car since it was stolen. On the other hand, the new owner, Mohammed Alsaloussi, claims to have legally purchased the car for $1.435 million in March 2019 and was unaware of the F50’s dubious history. While neither of them may be connected to the car theft, both parties have a valid claim to ownership of this supercar, and the matter can only be settled in court.
Reference: CNN
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