A cargo ship carrying 1,100 new Porsches and 189 new Bentleys has caught fire off the coast of the Azores. The ship floats adrift in the Atlantic Ocean, reports The New York Times†
The ship Felicity Ace was en route from the German port of Emden to Davisville in the United States. The ship ran into problems more than 300 kilometers off the coast of the Azores. A fire broke out and the entire crew was evacuated. It is not yet clear whether the ship’s cargo should be considered lost.
The Volkswagen Group is said to have confirmed that there are 4,000 vehicles on board the ship. A spokesperson for the American branch of Porsche confirms that 1,100 Porsches are involved and that “the fate of the vehicles is unknown”. There would also be 189 Bentleys on board the Felicity Ace.
The American NBC News reports that the shipping company is looking for a suitable tug, but that due to the size of the ship it is “unlikely” that it will be towed to the Azores.
The fate of the Felicity Ace is somewhat reminiscent of the disaster with the Tricolor in 2002. That freighter actually sank with a huge load of new cars from BMW and Volvo on board. More than a year after the sinking, the Tricolor was successfully salvaged part after part and the remains of the cars were recycled as much as possible.
In the photo you don’t see the Felicity Ace, but another freighter for illustration.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl