Buried Dino 246 GTS incident
In January 1978, a stolen 1974 Dino 246 GTS was discovered buried in a yard in Los Angeles.[1] The car was eventually revealed to have been involved in a more complicated and fraudulent scheme than was first thought.
The incident
It was believed that some children playing in the dirt discovered something shallowly buried. They alerted sheriff's deputies Joe Sabas and Dennis (misreported as Lenny[1]) Carroll, who had a team investigate the object, which proved to be a Ferrari Dino. It was initially reported that the car had been stolen in 1974, as had been reported, and buried by the thieves.[2]
Later it transpired that the owner, Rosendo Cruz,was thought to have conspired to commit insurance fraud with the supposed thieves. They were supposed to destroy the Dino, but instead hid it, intending to dig it up later, and forgot where it was buried.[1]
Aftermath
One Brad Howard purchased the car from Farmers Insurance, to which ownership had defaulted, and restored it for his own use. As of 2019, it was in perfect running condition in Howard's possession. It was easily restored and has been very active since 1978 when he purchased it. Brad continues to drive it regularly, and even takes it to shows and classic races. [1]
References
- ^ a b c d Spinelli, Mike (2012-09-08). "We Solve The Mystery Of How A Ferrari Ended Up Buried In Someone's Yard". Jalopnik. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
- ^ "Children Dig Up Long-Lost Ferrari". Toledo Blade. 1978-02-09. Retrieved 2018-10-15.