Most tragic tale of the ship with 4,000 supercars worth $400M sinking is the one man who was waiting on an ultra-rare, uninsured, irreplaceable car
Published on Nov 20, 2025 at 4:27 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Nov 20, 2025 at 4:28 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
When the Felicity Ace sank with 4,000 supercars on it, one man lost a truly irreplaceable car that he knew he would never see again.
Gary Hawkins had been on the hunt for a special version the car he had always loved, and he was able to find one located in Germany.
But due to the 25-year rule for imports, he couldn’t bring the car back straight away and had to wait a few more years.
Tragically, after finally being able to get this car to the United States, Hawkins’ prized possession is now at the bottom of the ocean.
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The irreplaceable car that Hawkins lost
The car in question was a 1996 Honda Prelude SiR, a rare version of the Prelude.
This was a limited-production run of the Honda that was intended solely for the Japanese market.
The Japanese manufacturer had planned to build 5,000 in the end, but around 3,000 were made.
Hawkins somehow found the exact specification of this car that he wanted.
It was a silver-on-red mode, with a manual transmission and the famous four-wheel steering.
Originally, it was sold new in Japan before making its way to Europe and ending up in Germany.
Hawkins bought the car there in 2016, and then had it stored until it was 25 years old.
Hawkins only saw his Honda Prelude once
In 2022, he headed to Germany to drive the car around the loading dock and get it ready for shipping.
It was then loaded onto the Felicity Ace, but on February 18th, 2022, he had a call telling him of the fire.
There wasn’t even the consolation of insurance coverage, as the shipper failed to provide that for the car.
Hawkins held out hope that the fire would be contained and his car would survive; however, the ship soon sank.
So, what now after he lost this very special Honda?
As of April 2022, Hawkins was determined to find another 1996 Honda Prelude SiR.
It won’t be easy, given how few of these cars were ever made.
But hopefully, Hawkins one day will be able to find the car of his dreams once again.
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Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
