Stolen Ferrari Mondial Discovered in Canal After Decades Underwater

Considering it’s spent the last 26 years or so underwater, the paint looks to be in surprisingly good shape.

byJames Gilboy|
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Back in 1994, Dutch police were forced to call off a search for a stolen 1987 Ferrari Mondial, whose trail had gone as cold as a pickled herring. The supercar's insurer compensated the owner for the loss, and that was the end of the story. Or at least, it was until June of this year, when Dutch fire brigade divers on a training exercise in Amsterdam's IJ waterway stumbled across a red, wedge-shaped object. Surprise surprise, it turned out to be the long-lost Ferrari.

After completing their exercise, the firefighters reported their find to the police on June 17, which followed up with their own dive on the 29th according to NL Times. The police, however, were reportedly unable to recover the stolen supercar on their own and called the Ministry of Defense for assistance from. On July 8, the fire department, police, and the Dutch military cooperated to extract the Ferrari from its resting place, and give forensic teams the chance to look into the car's origins.

Authorities quickly connected the Ferrari to the 1994 cold case, likely by matching its VIN and/or serial to a database of stolen cars. Beyond this, though, the Ferrari offered forensics techs only enough to confirm that no violent crime had occurred within the vehicle. Evidence pointing to possible suspects was also absent, forcing authorities to formally reseal the case. No longer needed as evidence in a criminal investigation, the Ferrari has been handed over to its legal owner, its insurer, which has sent the soiled supercar to be scrapped at a local shop.

"Investigations have shown no other crime than the theft of the car," said a police statement reported by NL Times. "The car is completely rusted and will be scrapped."

Locals, however, have suggested placing the car on display at the aquarium of Amsterdam's Artis Zoo, where tanks modeled on the formerly trash-filled canal environment showcase local marine life. A Ferrari would certainly make a unique addition to any aquarium display, and such oddity is par for the course for wildlife exhibits in Amsterdam, which also include a "zoo" of microorganisms. No petting allowed, of course—you've got to book a ticket on a cruise ship if you want hands-on exposure with 2020's trendiest microbes.

Update: 7/23/20 1:30 p.m. ET: We've learned new information on the future of the Ferrari, which we've included below.

"We have put the car for display at our company for now. There is a lot of interest in the car. Both complete and for parts," said De Ooyevaar Autodemontage, the scrapyard where the Ferrari is located, in a message to The Drive.

"The thing is that we are not allowed to sell the car complete. However, when it could go to a museum, the government will make an exception, and allows us to sell the car complete. When [sic] we can't find a museum willing to display the car, we are forced to dismantle the car in parts. Most parts can't be used on a other car, but a lot of collectors are willing to buy parts for collectables, or to transform them into furniture. Like the engine, they want to fix up and turn it into a table with a glass plate on top of it."

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