120 BMW (1-Series and M3s) Lost at Sea

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

OK, not literally "lost." More like "totaled." No matter how you parse it, Automotive News [sub] reports that King Triton wasn't happy with the ship carrying the very first batch of 1-Series and M3s headed stateside from the Fatherland. On January 11, a storm knocked the heavy metal loose to play a driverless game of German bumper cars and salvage parts. "Of the 470 vehicles on board, 120 were damaged beyond repair and will have to be scrapped. The others will be repaired, said a BMW spokesman." While one wonders if the customers for those repaired Bimmers will be told of the damage, the automaker is busy trying to figure out if the accident will affect the models' March launch date. 6Speedonline has the gruesome gallery for those of you who can't get enough wrecked exotics, or wait for Autoblog.

Robert Farago
Robert Farago

More by Robert Farago

Comments
Join the conversation
4 of 21 comments
  • Redbarchetta Redbarchetta on Jan 16, 2008
    joemoc1 I'm just curious but how do they repair the cars in transit? Do they have a body shop on the boat? Or after they are off loaded at port do they have a repair shop not far away with parts regularly available to make repairs and paint cars?
  • Danms6 Danms6 on Jan 16, 2008

    That damage actually makes the car look more bearable.

  • Mikeg Mikeg on Jan 17, 2008

    Even with the damage, they look better than the equivalent Mercedes.

  • Yankinwaoz Yankinwaoz on Jan 18, 2008

    Ha! Remember last year, or the year before, where a cargo ship ran aground off England and boxes with new BMW motorcycles were being washed ashore. Plenty of lucky Englishmen ran down to the beach and were able to salvage themselves a brand new BMW motorbike.

Next