Ferrari F40 miraculously found 24 years after being stolen

This Ferrari F40 was found 24 years after it was stolen from its owner, in what may be the ultimate car-owner reunion.

Car thefts are sadly all too common.

However, it’s not often that a happy ending comes at the end of those stories.

Let’s dig into what it took for a car to turn nearly a quarter of a century after its theft.

DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie

How did this Ferrari F40 end up getting stolen – and found again?

It was reported that the F40 was parked in front of a hotel in the Italian city of Monza in April 2000.

Thieves took off with the car and dodged police for the next few decades.

Fortunately for the car’s owner, they got paid the car’s value by their insurance company.

Fast forward to 2024 and the car has now been found at an unknown location and given back to its owner.

Reportedly the car has not been damaged and is worth more than it was back in 2000.

It was Art Recovery International (ARI) who played a part in tracking down the Ferrari.

Primarily, the company is focused on the recovery of stolen works of art.

But I suppose, in a roundabout way, the F40 is a work of art.

Christopher Marinello, the CEO of ARI, wrote on LinkedIn: “Three sets of lawyers, two signed documents, and a very happy insurance company.”

For the work of his company, Marinello was offered a test drive of the F40 as way of thanks.

Marinello has said that he’s accepted the offer.

For similar news, check out this man who was reunited with his 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air the day it was stolen.

How common is it for a stolen car to be returned?

Statistics on how many stolen cars are returned to their owners vary by country.

In the UK, only 28 percent of swiped vehicles were retrieved in 2021, at a cost of $1.8 billion for insurance companies.

This is a massive drop from a recovery rate of 80 percent in 2006.

Over in the US, it’s a comparatively higher figure of 85 percent, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Fortunately, there are stories out there of lucky drivers who are reconnected with their cars.

And often the reunion comes decades after the theft.

There was this North Carolina man who had his 1967 Mustang returned to him 22 years after it was taken.

And it’s not just car owners who have to fret about thieves.

The man who built the world’s biggest homemade yacht had it stolen from him by the Mexican Cartel.

Now those are guys you wouldn’t want to ask to give anything back.