Ferrari stolen from F1 driver in 1995 recovered by police nearly three decades later

A Ferrari stolen from former Formula One driver Gerhard Berger nearly three decades ago has been recovered by police.

Gerhard Berger’s Ferrari was stolen 28 years ago. Pic: Met Police

Berger was racing in the 1995 San Marino Grand Prix held at Imola in Italy when his Ferrari F512M was stolen alongside another sports car.

Gerhard Berger’s Ferrari was stolen 28 years ago. Pic: Met Police

Police believe the car – a revamped version of Ferrari’s iconic Testarossa – was shipped to Japan soon after it was stolen.

However, the sports car, painted in the classic Ferrari red and said to be worth around £350,000, was brought to the UK in late 2023.

It came to the attention of the Metropolitan Police in January this year, when officers received a report from the Italian car marker.

Ferrari had carried out checks on a car being bought by a US buyer via a UK broker in 2023, which revealed it was a stolen vehicle.

PC Mike Pilbeam, who led the investigation, said: “The stolen Ferrari was missing for more than 28 years before we managed to track it down in just four days.

“Our enquiries were painstaking and included contacting authorities from around the world.

Gerhard Berger’s Ferrari was stolen 28 years ago. Pic: Met Police

“We worked quickly with partners including the National Crime Agency, as well as Ferrari and international car dealerships, and this collaboration was instrumental in understanding the vehicle’s background and stopping it from leaving the country.”

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The second car remains missing.

No arrests have yet been made, but enquiries are ongoing, the force added.

The Ferrari F512M was the last version of the Italian car maker’s iconic Testarossa. Around 500 were produced between 1994 and 1996.

The Testarossa itself was Ferrari’s flagship model throughout much of the 1980s, becoming synonymous with yuppies, and famously featuring in the hit crime drama, Miami Vice.

Gerhard Berger, pictured in 1995. Pic: John Marsh / Action Images F1, via Reuters

Berger, who raced for Scuderia Ferrari for much of his Formula One career, was among the famous faces who owned a Testarossa, along with the likes of Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, and Elton John.

Former Formula One driver Gerhard Berger, pictured in 2019. Pic: Reuters