Supercar test drive crash: Who pays for the damage?

A Ferrari crashed in the Victoria Park tunnel on Saturday. Photo / RNZ

An Auckland luxury car dealership will be having a "serious conversation" with its insurer after a potential customer crashed a $290,000 Ferrari during a test drive.

The car, believed to be a 2013 Ferrari 458 Italia coupe, crashed in the Victoria Park tunnel on Saturday. The Herald understands it was on a test drive at the time.

Continental Cars, the Ferrari dealership thought to have been selling the car, declined to answer questions, saying the matter was confidential.

The Motor Trade Association, which represents car dealerships, advised its members to always get test drivers to fill out a comprehensive form for insurance purposes before taking the keys, spokesman Greig Eppssaid.

Crashing during a test drive is rare even in a normal car. Usually dealers were chasing up because the car had been issued a toll fine or a speeding ticket, Epps said.

"That's their prerogative," Epps said. "But if it was a test drive I suspect they will be having some serious conversations with their insurer and the driver about what happened."

Police are still investigating the cause of the crash and have not yet charged anyone.

Epps said the form filled out before a test driver should cover off what liability drivers would take in the event of a crash.

"That should include some form of acceptance of liability by the test driver - for example, one that would take responsibility for the excess, whatever it might be, or the cost of repair," Epps said.

But how much would depend on how risk averse the company was. A luxury car dealership would hold a much higher level of insurance and probably much higher excess for the driver.

"We would certainly be suggesting that the company take as much identifying information as they can - the driver's license, name, address, phone number, that sort of thing.

"You're running a sales business - you don't want to seem as though you distrust every person that comes on site. But you want enough information so you can follow up."

Whether a sales representative would come along for the ride would depend on a number of factors including how many staff were available, their assessment of the driver, and whether they wanted to explain the car's features as they drove.