Skip to main content

After having been stolen in 1989, Ferrari 375-Plus sells for $18.2 million at Goodwood

A 1954 Ferrari 375-Plus sold for the jaw-dropping sum of £10.7 million (approximately $18.2 million) at an auction that took place at last weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Wearing chassis number 0384, the Pininfarina-bodied 375-Plus joined Ferrari’s official racing team in 1954. The roadster participated in numerous high-profile events like the Mille Miglia and the 24 Hours of Le Mans before being sold off to wealthy American racer Jim Kimberly in 1955.

Records indicate the car was raced in various SCCA events until the end of the 1957 season and sold to an Ohio-based collector named Karl Kleve the following year. Kleve partially dismantled the 375-Plus and parked the body outside until it was mysteriously removed from his property in January of 1989 and purchased by a French collector for $50,000.

The car was reported stolen in the United States but the new owner was nonetheless able to register it in Europe and sell it to a well-known Belgian collector named Jacques Swaters. Shipped to a Ferrari specialist in Modena, Italy, the car was fully restored with the help of former factory mechanics and later re-united with its original 4.9-liter V12 engine.

After a lengthy legal battle, Swaters and Kleve finally came to an agreement over who owned the car. It remained in Swaters’ collection until his daughter inherited it when he died in 2010.

The 375-Plus was sold by Bonhams in like-new condition. It sparked a long bidding war before the hammer finally dropped.

Other highlights from the sale include a 1902 De Dietrich that sold for $1.7 million and a 1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400 “Periscopio” Coupe that fetched $1.6 million, a new record for the iconic mid-engined supercar.

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Hyundai teases Ioniq 9 electric SUV’s interior ahead of expected launch
hyundai ioniq 9 teaser launch 63892 image1hyundaimotorpresentsfirstlookationiq9embarkingonaneweraofspaciousevdesign

The Ioniq 9, the much anticipated three-row, electric SUV from Hyundai, will be officially unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show next week.

Selected by Newsweek as one of America’s most anticipated new vehicles of 2025, the Ioniq 9 recently had its name changed from the Ioniq 7, which would have numerically followed the popular Ioniq 6, to signal the SUV as Hyundai’s new flagship EV model.

Read more
Kia EV5: everything we know so far
Kia EV9 front exterior

Kia is expanding its EV lineup in a big way. The company is currently in the middle of rolling out the EV3, which is now available in Europe and is likely to come to the U.S. next year. Not only that, but it's also prepping the EV4, which it will likely announce more widely in 2025. And it's not stopping there either -- the Kia EV5 is a slightly scaled-back version of the much-loved EV9 SUV, and not only is it a vehicle we're excited about, but it's one that has already launched in Australia.

If the EV5 is anything like the EV9 -- only cheaper -- it'll be an instant success. Curious about whether the EV5 could be your next car? Here's everything we know about the EV5.
Design
Despite the lower number, the Kia EV5 is actually larger than the EV6 crossover — but not quite as large as the EV9 SUV. Kia calls it a “compact SUV” that offersa boxy design that’s similar to the EV9, but with only two rows of seats instead of three.

Read more
Trump administration prepares to end Biden’s EV tax incentive, report says
president biden drives 2022 ford f 150 lightning electric pickup truck prototype visits rouge vehicle center

If you’re looking to buy or lease an electric vehicle (EV) and benefit from the Biden administration’s $7,500 tax incentive, you’d better act soon.

The transition team of the incoming Trump administration is already planning to end the credit, according to a report from Reuters citing sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

Read more