The damaged Ferrari is believed to have sold at auction in October for at least $50,000. Image / Google
The damaged Ferrari is believed to have sold at auction in October for at least $50,000. Image / Google
A man is facing a careless driving charge after crashing a $290,000 Ferrari in Auckland's Victoria Park tunnel earlier this year while on a test drive.
It's believed the car, which sustained extensive damage in the July 20 crash, has sold at auction through Turners for at least $50,000.
The official crash report was released to the Herald under the Official Information Act. It says the Ferrari was travelling in a straight line when it lost control and the car began to swerve - "indicating that the driver has done a sudden increase of speed or manoeuvre while revving the vehicle's engine, causing it to lose control".
It had hit the barrier several times before coming to a stop, causing lengthy delays and a traffic jam up to 8km long.
CCTV reviewed by police showed the car was travelling "slightly faster" than other cars in the area - estimated at 60km/h, in an 80km/h zone - but excessive speed was not a factor. The road was wet at the time.
The white 2013 Ferrari Italia 458 coupe was for sale at luxury car dealership Continental Cars in Newmarket at the time of the crash. It had a 4.5-litre engine and could go from 0-100km/h in under 3.4 seconds - with a top speed of 325km/h, according to the dealership.
The Ferrari was originally advertised for $289,900 before the crash. Image / Google
Turners declined to comment on the auction's outcome at the request of the vendor.
A 33-year-old North Shore man has been charged with careless driving in connection with the crash. The man, who has interim name suppression, is due to appear in the Auckland District Court early next year.
The crash file says the driver was heading north and was in lane 1 when "all of a sudden the car started to swerve prior [to] Victoria Tunnel", the attending officer wrote in his notes.
"[REDACTED] managed to keep the car as close as to the left lane to avoid the other traffic. As a result, he hit the left barrier a few times before coming to a stop in lane 2."
"Extensive" damage affected the front and both sides of the vehicle as it hit the concrete barriers.
The crash in the Victoria Park tunnel caused lengthy delays for northbound drivers. Photo / Matthew Theunissen, RNZ
The report contains no witness statements except those of the driver and their passenger - believed to be a salesperson from Continental Cars.
"I was doing a test drive of a Ferrari motor vehicle," said the driver, who held a current UK driver's licence and had last arrived in New Zealand on March 21.
"Before the Victoria tunnel, the car slipped and I tried hard to control it and kept as close as to the left side of the road to avoid the traffic. It hit the barrier a few times before coming to a stop in lane 2."
The passenger told police they did not remember much from the crash.
"I was on my phone before the crash. All of a sudden, our car started to swerve and hit the barrier a few times," the passenger's statement said.
Neither the driver nor his passenger was injured. Both were wearing seatbelts and the driver's airbag deployed.
