$270,000 Ferrari 458 Crushed by Police: Accident or Scam?
Imagine you had just purchased a fancy new car, and the police crushed it in front of you? That’s what happened in this unusual Ferrari 458 supercar story. But as usual, there is a lot more than meets the eyes with this tale. Including a license plate scam, a trip to Dubai, and a badly damaged $270,000 Ferrari.
How much does a Ferrari 458 cost?
Zahid Khan purchased the white $270,000 Ferrari 458 Spider many years back. The regular 458 usually cost around $250,000, but the Spider version was even more. He drove the Ferrari down to the Birmingham Crown Court for an unrelated event. The police claimed the Ferrari 458 was a stolen vehicle.
Not long after, the police confiscated the Ferrari. Khan claims he purchased the vehicle at an auction, but the police insisted it had been stolen. He attempted to show proof of ownership but was unable to. Someone posted a video of the Ferrari getting crushed on social media almost a year later.
On Khan’s YouTube channel, he explained a bit more. He says he insured the car and the registered owner, but the police failed to return the vehicle. Then, the police had some court order filed that allowed the crushing of the Ferrari 458.
Was the Ferrari 458 too damaged to be on the road?
To be fair, none of this sounds legit. Why can’t Khan show proof of ownership and insurance? Why can the police crush cars without notice? In a recent update from Birmingham Live, it seems Khan might have been in the wrong. He was already under investigation for a license plate scam he was allegedly running.
Zahid Khan fled to Dubai to escape a 10-year jail sentence. While he was on the run, the Ferrari 458 owner decided to sue the West Midlands Police in Birmingham, U.K., for crushing the supercar. Thus far, he has not served any time or paid any of the fines.
The police claim West Midlands Police crushed the Ferrari 458 as it had no insurance. Police would classify the vehicle as a Category B vehicle. This means that the Ferrari had likely been in a crash previously and repaired. However, that does not mean it was ready for the road. On the Royal Automobile Club Website, Category B vehicles are as follows:
“Body shell should be crushed. Signifies extensive damage, although some parts are salvageable. Should never re-appear on road, although reclaimed parts can be used in other road-going vehicles.”
RAC UK
The police can destroy category B vehicles as these vehicles are not “roadworthy.” Since this Ferrari 458 was a Category B vehicle, it was not suitable to be on the road.
This supercar story is ongoing, but this was no accident
According to Birmingham Live, police convicted Khan of conspiracy to commit fraud, perverting the course of justice and concealing and converting criminal property. The scam consisted of Khan registering existing plates under his name to sell the vehicles.
It sounds like the police were already well aware of this situation the Ferrari 458 owner was involved in. Currently, he owes the courts $160,000 and has an extra 14 months tacked on to the current 10 years. It is doubtful the police are going to pay the $270,000 for the Ferrari anytime soon. With very few facts to back up what Khan said, it is likely all of this was some sort of scam as well. If the vehicle was damaged, it should not have been allowed on the road. If Khan had proof that this was not the case, it should have been a simple fix.
Khan claims he has filed paperwork with the police, but the police appear to know where he is in Dubai. The Ferrari 458 Spider is gone forever, but the world probably has not seen the last of Khan and his supercars.
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