Auto theft has always been a serious problem, and today manufacturers are combating it more than ever with disabling devices, laser cut keys, and even biometrics. Of course, California has always hosted a number of metro areas that rank the highest for auto theft. Being on the west coast, it’s pretty easy for a professional car thief to jack-move a car, load it on a container ship, and send it across the big blue. Well, not all stolen cars make it to their destination. A prime example is this Ferrari->ke252 that was stolen 28 years ago and has just now resurfaced as it was about to be shipped out of the Long Beach Seaport.

The car is a 1981 Ferrari GTSi that was stolen from a consignment lot in Orange Country, California on July 19th, 1987. The only reason the car caught the attention of customs agents was because the vehicle identification number (VIN) recorded on the export paperwork was used previously on a 1982 Ferrari 208 GTS that was shipped off to Norway back in 2005. The California Highway Patrol, National Insurance Crime Bureau, and a Ferrari factory expert were able to determine what this car really was.

Back in the 1980s, when the car was stolen, the owner was compensated by his insurance company, and now wishes to remain anonymous. The car has probably been parked the entire time it has been missing, as it only has 45,000 miles on the clock. What happens to the car next is a bit of a mystery, and officials have remained quiet about who was shipping the car or who was receiving it.

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Why it matters

It is pretty crazy that a car that was stolen 28 years ago was just now being shipped out of the country. It really makes one wonder just what the car has been doing, or where it has been at for the better part of three decades. Who knows, maybe it was Memphis Raines and his crew who stole it way back when. Okay, it’s obviously not, but a stolen Ferrari did show up at the Longbeach Seaport, so you can bet it was a team of professional thieves that stole the car.

Considering the previous owner was compensated by insurance, the car will probably go back to the insurance company, or Customs will hold it and eventually auction it off. Either way, it’s a $50,000 car, and somebody will eventually auction it off the legal way. Can you imagine getting a phone call and finding out someone found your Ferrari 28 years after it was stolen? That had to make for an interesting day.

1982 Ferrari 308 GTSi

Read our full review on the 1982 Ferrari 308 GTSi here.