In October 1974, Rosendo Cruz, an Alhambra plumber, bought a shiny new Ferrari Dino 246 GTS from Hollywood Sports Car as a special gift for his wife. Little did he know, this purchase would lead to a bizarre turn of events.
The Vanishing Act
Just two months later, the Ferrari vanished, leaving Cruz and his wife puzzled. Despite a police report and an insurance claim, the car seemed lost forever. The insurance payout matched the purchase price, wiping away any trace of ownership.
A Surprising Discovery of Ferrari Dino 246 GTS
Four years later, in 1978, children playing in a front yard in southern Los Angeles stumbled upon the buried Ferrari. The car, carefully covered with plastic sheets, towels in the exhaust, remained surprisingly intact. A comprehensive LA Times article documented the astonishing discovery, revealing the car’s journey from theft to burial.
The insurance company, Farmers Insurance, now owned the car due to the payout. Attempts to sell it proved challenging until businessman Ara Manoogian expressed interest. Real estate agent Brad Howard, overhearing Manoogian’s plans, saw an opportunity and offered to purchase the car.
With the help of Ferrari mechanic Giuseppe Cappalonga, the car underwent restoration. Despite intentional damage by the thieves, the Dino was revived and now proudly roams the streets with Howard, bearing the license plate “DUG UP” as a nod to its buried past.
Unearthing the Truth
In 2012, journalists uncovered a surprising twist – the buried Ferrari was part of an insurance fraud plot orchestrated by Cruz. Hiring thieves to steal the car, Cruz planned to split the insurance check with them. However, the thieves deviated from the plan, attempting to sell the preserved car independently. Their forgetfulness of the burial location turned this story into an unresolved case of fraud with an unexpected Ferrari twist.
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