London police have solved a car «hanging». The Organized Automobile Crime Unit has recovered a Ferrari 512M that thieves stole from Formula 1 pilot Gerhard Berger 28 years ago during the 1995 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.
The crooks stole Berger’s 512M and Jean Alesi’s 355 from a hotel parking lot during the 1995 race. Back then, Berger allegedly arrived as the thief was driving away in his Ferrari, transmits Motor1.
Police recovered Berger’s 512M with the help of Ferrari. In January, the automaker told investigators that it had inspected the car on behalf of an American client who had purchased the car from a broker in the UK.
Police found out that the car had been driven to Japan after being stolen. At the end of 2023, it ended up in the UK, where the Metropolitan Police confiscated the Ferrari to prevent it from being taken out of the country.
We worked «quickly» with partners, including the National Crime Agency, as well as Ferrari and international car dealerships, and this cooperation helped us understand the car’s history and prevent it from being taken out of the country.
— said lead investigator Mike Pilbeam.
The police are still investigating; no arrests have been made. By the way, Alesi’s F355 has not yet been found.
Despite the car thefts, Berger and Alesi succeeded at the 1995 San Marino Grand Prix, where Alesi took second place and Berger — third.