He dropped off salesman - and took off in Ferrari
By JIM NOLAN
nolanj@phillynews.com

You think YOU'VE had a bad day.

How'd you like to be the trusting Main Line Ferrari salesman who got out of the passenger seat to switch places with a prospective customer last week, only to be left at the curb?

In case you're wondering, that was a $729,000 f-50 Ferrari. Red, of course.

The salesman, not to mention Lower Merion police, are still looking for the car, which detectives believe may have been driven into a trailer shortly after it was stolen for shipment overseas or a black market transaction.

Even harder to believe is that the silver-tongued con man was able to get behind the wheel of the Italian roadster without even showing a driver's license, according to police.

It all happened Sept. 16 at Algar Ferrari, on Lancaster Avenue, in Rosemont, one of only 32 Ferrari and Maserati dealerships in North America.

Lower Merion police said a man called the dealership saying he was flying up from Atlanta and was interested in a red, 1995, f-50 in stock.

He arrived wearing a shirt and tie and a Rolex watch, acting affluent and telling the salesmen that his limo was parked next door in the Acme parking lot.

Salesmen always accompany prospective customers on test drives. But police said that after the first test drive with the salesman behind the wheel, the con man asked to take another spin driving himself, saying he was concerned about the brakes.

Police said he told the dealership that he left his wallet and license at the airport. Nevertheless, a manager agreed to let him drive with the salesman.

Around 5 p.m. on Spring Mill Road, the man asked if the salesman would drive the rest of the way back to the dealership.

"When the salesman gets out, he just takes off," said Det. Charles J. Craig, who is handling the case.

Despite rush hour and rapid police deployment to the area, there was no trace of the car, leading cops to suspect the con man had accomplices.

"This took a lot of planning," said Craig.

Police released a description of the Ferrari thief - White, around 6-foot, slender, with short, clean-cut, reddish-brown hair and glasses. The Ferrari is pretty hard to miss.

Detectives are also looking into whether the theft is related to similar thefts of Ferraris in North Carolina and Long Island. Anyone with information can call 610-645-6228.





http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews...cal/6864656.htm

 

Gotta be an inside job, right?

 

That was my fist thought...they didn't allow me to test drive a cooper S without taking a copy of my license and they let this guy go for a test drive in an F50? With his limo parked in the Supermarket??? With no ID of any sort??

 

That should read as follows:

He dropped off ex-salesman - and took off in Ferrari

 

I don't know about you guys, but I am going to keep my eyes open for one those guys driving around in a pick-up truck saying "wanna buy speakers cheap? No? How about an F50?"

That car has to be going somewhere where no one in Law ever checks Vins.

 

2 years ago at a bay area dealer, this guy walks into the detailing area and says to the detailer, I'm here to pick up my new turbo--there it is! He said he just signed the paperwork inside, and they give him the keys and off he went!

I picked up my car there a few days later, and they told me they got a new detailer...

 

"Sounds very shady, how could you one not ask for id when test driving a car and then since when are test drives on a Ferrari F50 allowed."

oh the irony of a ferrari dealer being taken in by a fraud who looked the part on the outside.

 

Wow! What a story! The "acme" parking lot - sounds like a road runner cartoon.....

The trailer must have been right around the corner and that was a very well planned job - Duane I like your new car Very Clever - now go back and get me a barchetta