Ferrari owner sues for $630,000 after crash

A Ferrari owner has hit Italian Motors with a legal claim of more than $630,000 in damages for the loss of his car after an accident during a trip across the border.

Michael Mudd has filed a High Court writ suing the Ferrari distributor for negligence or breach of duty as a specialised Ferrari servicer and repairer in Hong Kong and the mainland.

The writ said in January this year Mr Mudd purchased a Ferrari Testarossa high performance sports car, manufactured in Italy in 1986, from Kingsway Cars.

On March 17, Mr Mudd wrote to Italian Motors to request an inspection and some work be done on his Ferrrari, including the removal of the engine and replacement of some vehicle parts. The writ said he specifically drew to Italian Motors's attention to the fact he was considering going on a round trip to Hainan island organised by the defendant's Ferrari Owners Club. He later paid a sum of $56,841 for the services.

On April 16, Mr Mudd, with 24 other Ferrari drivers, headed to the mainland border for the trip. But when he reached the Zhuhai and Yangjiang toll highway at 6pm, he noticed a severe vibration on the left rear of his car.

The writ said he suspected a possible tyre blowout and immediately reduced his speed and tried to stop. But it said the car drifted to the left, spun 360 degrees and came to rest in the emergency lane.