This 1997 stolen iconic car is back again. A gentleman and real Ferrari enthusiast has found the car 2015 in Italy. It has never left this country since it's theft. An expert has confirmed the authenticity of the car. Now it is back in Germany and after an extensive restoration it soon will be back on track. The original engine will be reinstalled after more than fifty years. This is a real sensation because everyone thought the car is lost forever. Congrats to the owner of this beauty 😉 Image Unavailable, Please Login
I read about this story in a german magazin some months ago. Just awesome that the "real" owner gets his baby back after so many years!
The gentleman who has the car in his hands at the moment is very proud of it 😎 Image Unavailable, Please Login
Once an insurance company pays for the theft damage the property usually goes into the ownership of the insurance company. Marcel Massini
Usually correct, Marcel. But not in this case I'm very sure. Fortunately Schaefer did not lost it's property and he will be back on track in this very special car sooner or later. Let's wait and see. It will be a very pleasure for me to see him behind the steering wheel again...
But interesting that this gentleman and not the insurance company reclaims ownership on the stolen car...
Some more discussion here : http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/vintage-thru-365-gtc4/542295-attention-who-likes-barn-find-ferraris-amazing-find-4.html
Hello, I am just a stupid M.D., not a lawyer, but how can this Mr Stehle buy a stolen car (in Italy, I suppose) and bring it to Germany without legal repercussions? Does that not fulfill the criminal offence of dealing in stolen goods? Why is the car not impounded by the authorities? Regards Wolfi
Did they not find parts of the car soon after it was stolen? I imagine the current owner has been holding on to the bits and pieces of the car since then, likely voiding the full insurance pay out but retaining some part of the ownership? Interesting story and excited to hear more, but it'll be impossible to know all the details of what was likely a very complicated insurance deal.
Two points: 1) Often an insurance company will allow the owner to purchase the car back from them if it's totaled out or recovered after theft loss, whenever they move to dispose of it. 2) If the above were NOT the case here, and insurance paid out for loss, then the insurance co now owns the chassis, and and can sell it on with good title to whomever it pleases (laws differ in some countries as to whether it would be a clear or salvage title or bill of sale). Whomever buys it is NOT receiving stolen goods, so long as the party entitled to the car - if ever recovered - is the seller.
Hello @Wolf, It is very easy! First I bought the car from the insurance company then I bought my car in Italy (in the case it is the real #0636 MD/TR)... The insurance got the rights of the car one month after the car was announced as stolen. Volkmar Spielmann claim to have the rights of #0636 after he "bought" them together with the stolen V12 engine (#1839) and some other stolen parts for 50'T Euro from Walter Schäfer. But at that time the insurance payed already 500 T to the old owner. Spielmann sold the stolen engine which belongs at that time already the insurance for 100 T . So he doubled his invest already! Now he try to make from nothing the real money!! Fortunately it is not allowed to sell engines which you do not own to others...
Mr. Spielmann why you write this question when you already know the answer from the insurance where I bought the car? Do you think because you already lost your reputation by getting bankrupt you can destroy other people's reputation without paying for it?
Maybe good connections to the state attorneys? Remember Wolfi, Germany is not far away from a banana republic 🙃🙃🙃
The autobild article is interesting. Got Walter Schäfer the car back now? And what is the situation with the insurance company, which was sentenced 2007 to pay Schäfer and got after - most probably - the owner of car and title?
And: if in some jurisdictions someone buys stolen goods in good faith from a dealer, he gets a clear title and becomes the protected owner (e.g. Belgium and Swaters 375+).