How Audi responded after 1,800 of its cars were aboard the cargo ship that sank with the final Lamborghini Aventadors

Published on Nov 14, 2025 at 2:44 PM (UTC+4)
by Daisy Edwards

Last updated on Nov 14, 2025 at 3:23 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Emma Matthews

Have you ever wondered how Audi responded after 1,800 of its cars were aboard the cargo ship that sank with the final Lamborghini Aventadors?

The Felicity Ace disaster wiped out nearly 4,000 VW Group cars as it burned and later sank in the Atlantic.

Among them were the final Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae units, and almost half the ship’s stock belonged to Audi.

Here is how Audi handles the chaos following one of the most unusual and disappointing losses in recent automotive history.

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The ghost supercar garage created by a cargo ship that sank

When the Felicity Ace cargo ship caught fire on February 16, 2022, it was carrying thousands of luxury cars from the Volkswagen Group.

In the group of cars that went down with the ship, there were Porsches, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, and some VWs, which now only exist at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in a sort of ghost supercar garage.

Roughly 1,800 of the cars were brand-new Audis heading for customers in the United States, and the loss created a sudden shortage that could have caused months of confusion for buyers, but the automaker stepped in fast.

How did Audi respond?

Then-Audi CEO Markus Duesmann confirmed very quickly after the incident that the automaker would replace every affected car.

He explained that the company had the capacity to rebuild the lost cars, but timing would be a challenge.

While other brands in the VW Group made louder and more dramatic announcements, the German automaker stayed weirdly calm.

Bentley diverted unsold cars to those buyers who lost out, and Lamborghini even restarted the production of Aventadors despite having ended production forever.

Porsche reallocated build slots, but the Duesmann-run company, on the other hand, committed to replacements without creating panic or making big promises about delivery dates.

It was the perfect approach designed to keep customers calm while the German automaker worked behind the scenes to reset the production line.

We don’t know if everyone who lost a new car in the Felicity Ace disaster has received a replacement car yet, but Audi’s solution was a showcase in staying calm in stormy waters.

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Daisy Edwards is a Content Writer at supercarblondie.com. Daisy has more than five years’ experience as a qualified journalist, having graduated with a History and Journalism degree from Goldsmiths, University of London and a dissertation in vintage electric vehicles. Daisy specializes in writing about cars, EVs, tech and luxury lifestyle. When she's not writing, she's at a country music concert or working on one of her many unfinished craft projects.