Luxury mechanic sued after $2.5m Ferrari was stolen, set on fire

The vintage luxury car, which has links to Princess Diana and Pink Floyd, was stolen and set on fire near Frankston while under repair.

The 1972 Ferrari Daytona before it was stolen and burned out. Picture: Victoria Police

The owner of a $2.5 million Ferrari that once belonged to Princess Diana’s boyfriend and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters is suing a Melbourne mechanic after it was stolen and torched while under repair.

Restaurateur and developer Enzo Ceravolo claims Hughes Supercar Services was negligent after his prized 1973 Daytona Ferrari was pinched from the Braeside mechanic in late 2015.

The car — previously owned by Egyptian business magnate Mohamed Al Fayed, who gifted it to his son Dodi Fayed before he died alongside Princess Diana in the 1997 Paris crash — had taken five years to restore after Mr Ceravolo purchased it from the UK in 2010.

It was one of only four in Australia.

Enzo Ceravolo’s Ferrari Daytona after it was burnt out.

The vintage luxury car was destroyed after it was stolen.

The car was previously owned by Egyptian business magnate Mohamed Al Fayed.

In a claim filed with the Supreme Court, and seen by the Herald Sun, Mr Ceravolo is seeking compensation from mechanic Philip Gordon Hughes for the “loss and damage suffered as a consequence of the incident”.

The car enthusiast claims Mr Hughes breached a duty of care by failing to ensure his customer’s property was protected.

“The incident, the removal of and the subsequent damage to (my) vehicle occurred due to (Mr Hughes’) negligence,” Mr Ceravolo said in his writ.

But Mr Hughes told the Herald Sun he wasn’t aware of the lawsuit and claimed Mr Ceravolo’s car wasn’t properly insured at the time of the theft.

Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters once owned the car. Picture: Simon Cross

It was once gifted to Princess Diana‘s partner, Dodi Fayed.

Hughes Supercar Services was repairing the 1973 Daytona Ferrari when it was stolen.

“People seem to forget there were two cars stolen at the same time and only one was insured correctly where there was no issue with liability at the time,” he said.

Mr Hughes said the Ferrari had been in and out of his workshop for close to five years when it was stolen during a brazen early morning break-in on November 6, 2015.

During the burglary, thieves rammed the repair shop’s roller door and took off with Mr Ceravolo’s luxury car and another 1986 Ferrari 328, worth about $100,000.

In a public appeal to find the stolen car in 2015, Mr Ceravolo’s son, Francesco Ceravolo, told the Herald Sun it was irreplaceable.

Enzo Ceravolo is suing the Braeside mechanic.

“Personally you just can’t replace it,” he said.

He said it was a dream come true for his father when he finally got his hands on the car.

Days later, Enzo Ceravolo’s dream was shattered when his car was found engulfed in flames in the nearby suburb of Langwarrin.

“I would never even dream of something like that being destroyed completely,” he said at the time.

“Which idiot would destroy it? It’s a bit devastating. I don’t feel good at all.”

Two men were later charged and jailed over the theft.