Ferrari stolen in early 1990s found in Amsterdam waterway

A 1987 Ferrari Mondial stolen decades ago was fished from the water off Javakade in Amsterdam Oost this week. Police confirmed that forensic research showed no evidence of a violent crime having taken place inside the car.

It was discovered accidentally by divers from the fire brigade during an exercise on June 17. A team from the police reached the vehicle on June 29 but were unable to recover the car. Fire department and Defense Ministry divers took another look on Wednesday, and worked with police a day later to hoist the car out of the IJ River in front of the Hotel Jakarta.

“Investigations have shown no other crime than the theft of the car,” police said. The vehicle theft was reported in the early 1990s by the owner in a case that went unsolved. Too much time has past to charge anyone with the crime, police said, adding, “the car is completely rusted and will be scrapped.”

The original owner of the car was compensated for the loss by their insurance company. Police decided with the insurer to send the car to the scrap heap.

However, several people on social media said it would be a better idea to put the car on display. At the aquarium in the Artis Zoo, visitors can look at species of fish common to Amsterdam in tanks made to replicate the underwater junkyards found in the city’s canals.

Fewer than a thousand units of the Mondial 3.2 were produced by Ferrari at the manufacturer’s facility in Modena, Italy. The rear mid-engined four-seater used a 3.2-liter V8 engine capable of generating 202 kW, or about 270 brake horsepower. From a standstill, the car could go flat out to 100 km/h in 7.4 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 250 kilometers per hour.