Ferrari Driver Toasts F430 Scuderia Literally An Hour After He Bought It

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

A driver in the United Kingdom obliterated a Ferrari after only a single hour of ownership. Not that it’s easy to tell from the photographs, but the vehicle in question used to be a Ferrari F430 Scuderia prior to its transformation into smoldering wreckage.

The South Yorkshire Police said fire and rescue services were on the scene when they arrived, “squirting water all over some kind of sporty motor” that had careened some fifty meters off the M1 highway before exploding into flames. Miraculously, the vehicle’s owner survived with only a few scrapes but his ego may not have made it. Taking some mild joy in the wealthy man’s plight, the department wrote on social media the officers on the scene “asked the driver what sort of car he ‘had’ to which he replied ‘It was a Ferrari.’ Detecting a sense of damaged pride he then said ‘I’ve only just got it, picked it up an hour ago.'”

According to the BBC, he former owner shelled out a whopping £200,000 on the vehicle before it flew off the roadway and exploded Thursday afternoon. Since the 503 horsepower Scuderias tend to hold their value exceptionally well, this would have been a fair price for the coupe or and incredible deal for the coveted roadster variant. Unfortunately, the car’s present condition makes assessing which model it started out its life as next to impossible.

While it’s unknown how close to the vehicle’s top speed of 198 miles per hour the driver was traveling, authorities have stated they don’t believe speed was a factor in the crash. Although, the department did specify the vehicle “went airborne” due to the wet conditions and reminded motorists to be mindful of inclement weather.

“Over the past couple of weeks there has been a number of collisions where driving styles have not reflected the road and weather conditions,” stated the South Yorkshire Police. “Please take more care.”

That should go double for anyone driving a highly-desirable supercar intended primarily for track-use.

[Images: South Yorkshire Police]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • NeilM NeilM on Jul 31, 2017

    "According to the BBC, he former owner shelled out a whopping £200,000 on the vehicle before it flew off the roadway and exploded Thursday afternoon." Wow, flew off the roadway? Maybe flying cars are here after all. From the rest of the description I wonder if he didn't give it too much beans for the wet conditions, lost rear traction and spun off. Could also have been aggravated by extreme performance tires with minimal tread. Or, as we say at the track: he just ran out of talent.

  • 427Cobra 427Cobra on Jul 31, 2017

    when I bought my 427 Cobra, I told myself that I was NOT going to end up in a YouTube video crashing it... (like so many others) I had that car for 8 years, & on the day I sold it, it STILL scared the crap out of me. With 612 hp/615 tq under foot in a 2300 lb car, it didn't take much to get it out of control, & I knew the car's performance exceeded my driving abilities. That said, the car was pretty docile if you kept your foot out of it. After I sold it, I lasted almost a year before I found myself in the market for another toy. I went a little more mainstream/practical this go-round, & picked up an '04 C5 Corvette Z06 with only 8600 miles on it. MUCH easier to drive around town (except for scraping on everything), much more comfortable, and much more economical. I knew that I should take a driving course or two, but just never got around to it. Perhaps one day...

    • Flipper35 Flipper35 on Jul 31, 2017

      Avons would have helped immensely with the traction problem.

  • 3-On-The-Tree 4cyl as well.
  • Luke42 I want more information about Ford’s Project T3.The Silverado EV needs some competition beyond just the Rivian truck. The Cybertruck has missed the mark.The Cybertruck is special in that it’s the first time Tesla has introduced an uncompetitive EV. I hope the company learns from their mistakes. While Tesla is learning what they did wrong, I’ll be shopping to replace my GMC Sierra Hybrid with a Chevy, a Ford, or a Rivian — all while happily driving my Model Y.
  • 3-On-The-Tree I wished they wouldn’t go to the twin turbo V6. That’s why I bought a 2021 Tundra V8.
  • Oberkanone My grid hurts!Good luck with installing charger locations at leased locations with aging infrastructure. Perhaps USPS would have better start modernizing it's Post offices to meet future needs. Of course, USPS has no money for anything.
  • Dukeisduke If it's going to be a turbo 4-cylinder like the new Tacoma, I'll pass.BTW, I see lots of Tacomas on the road (mine is a 2013), but I haven't seen any 4th-gen trucks yet.
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