The Italian Job: $218K Ferrari Roma Vanished While Heading to Dealership

      A Ferrari Roma was bought from a luxury dealership in Denver and was supposed to be shipped to a luxury dealership in Minneapolis. However, the Italian sports car never arrived, reportedly having been taken by a fraudulent company. As a result, both the seller and the shipping company are being sued.

      Transferring inventory between locations is a routine process. Even when dealing with high-value items, the procedure remains consistent: moving from point A to point B. Ensuring the transport is done securely is expected, as is verifying the shipping details.

      A lawsuit filed by dealer group Lithia Motors claims that the basic logistics protocols were not adhered to for a Ferrari Roma they purchased. Valued at $218,000, the Ferrari was bought in November 2024 from Bentley Denver and was scheduled for delivery to Twin Cities Performance, a Ferrari dealership within Lithia Motors’ extensive network of nearly 300 retail locations.

      As reported by Automotive News, the Bentley dealer arranged for the vehicle's shipping through Angels Moving Autos, which in turn employed Central Dispatch to choose a shipping company. Central Dispatch advertises itself as “the largest self-managed auto transportation marketplace in the country.” Everything seemed fine until "KT Logistics" was assigned the task.

      KT Logistics is a legitimate transport company, but its fleet consists of refrigerated and dry van trailers, indicating it is not set up to transport vehicles. Had Angels Moving Autos properly checked the company, verifying insurance and other credentials, they would have discovered that the KT Logistics scheduled to pick up the Ferrari was a scam.

      Was this a case of ignoring warning signs? Absolutely.

      Nonetheless, an individual impersonating KT Logistics showed up in Denver for the Ferrari. This should have been another point for verification, ideally from the Bentley dealership’s end. However, it seems that a verification process was either never conducted or was insufficient. Allegedly, the lawsuit claims that the driver did not even present a bill of lading—which is essentially a shipping receipt—nor any identification. Sigh.

      Was this due to negligence or incompetence? Certainly.

      Even if it were a non-operational rusted vehicle being shipped, I would still require a bill of lading, contact information for the driver, and a vehicle inspection report at minimum. Until these are provided, I would not allow loading onto the truck.

      To add to the situation, two days post vehicle pickup/theft, Angels Moving Autos messaged Twin Cities Performance assuring them that the Ferrari transport would be securely delivered and “looked like everything is good and legitimate.”

      A direct interstate drive from Denver to Minneapolis covers 900 miles. A road trip would take a couple of days by passenger car and a bit longer with a transporter. Yet, nearly a week went by before Twin Cities Performance was contacted again, this time to be informed that the grand tourer had been stolen. Furthermore, neither the shipping company nor Bentley Denver filed a police report.

      The lawsuit charges both Bentley Denver and Angels Moving Autos with negligence and civil theft. Additional claims include unjust enrichment against the dealership, which deposited the check despite Twin Cities’ objections, and a breach of vendor agreement against Angels Moving Autos.

      Twin Cities Performance and Lithia Motors are seeking a refund for the purchase price, along with compensation for lost profits, sales, and customer loyalty.

      As of now, the location of the stolen Ferrari Roma remains unknown.