The Philippine government strikes again
In the Philippines, more wanton destruction of automobiles is on the horizon. Jalopnik spotted a story by The Philippine Star about the death of a Ferrari 360 Spider in a bulldozer. This is a very unfitting ending for the elegant supercar. Although the news outlet posted photos on its Facebook page as well, the disturbing sound of twisted metal in this video from GMA News is far more distressing.
What’s the deal? The Philippine government has taken a tough stance against crime, including illegal vehicle imports into the country. Although we don’t know the exact rules, it appears that vehicle import fees and taxes are quite high. This Ferrari was apparently imported as auto parts, rather than an actual vehicle. Video and photos show that the 360 was missing its front and back fascias, as well as the doors before it was crushed. It is not clear if this was done in accordance with the auto parts declaration, but it does not matter. Poor Ferrari was not able to stand a chance against this dozer.
In the past few years, we’ve seen some public car-crushing displays by the Philippine government. There were many Mercedes-Benz models, and at least one Porsche 911 GT3. However, this display is the first to focus on one car. Officials want to convey to smugglers that they will be punished for their efforts, but many people are still skeptical about the motives behind this. The smugglers will lose their vehicles once they are taken away. These vehicles could be auctioned and used to do something useful with the proceeds.
This kind of grandstanding is a surefire way to draw attention. It’s not evident that it’s having any effect on smugglers, since this Ferrari is undoubtedly the most exotic vehicle we’ve ever seen destroyed.