CAPTION: Florda police said 50-year-old Robert J. Guarini told them he lost control after downshifting this rare Ford GT while leaving his housing development at around 6 p.m. on May 27. (COURTESY: John Peddie via Facebook)
Imagine buying a supercar for more than $700,000, then wrecking it a few weeks later — all because you can’t handle a stick shift.
That’s exactly what happened to a Boca Raton, Florida, man, who smashed his Ford GT just after purchasing it at an April Barrett-Jackson auction for $704,000.
Police said 50-year-old Robert J. Guarini told them he lost control after downshifting while leaving his housing development at around 6 p.m. on May 27.
He hit a palm tree head on and admitted later that he was unfamiliar with driving a standard transmission vehicle.
Luckily, he wasn’t injured — just a bruised ego.
John Peddle posted photos of the debacle to his Facebook account, and then the story went viral.
Car and Driver reported that “The hit was substantial enough to trigger multiple airbags and disable the vehicle. It’s unclear how fast Guarini was going when the crash occurred, but the GT slid far enough after hitting the tree that it blocked a nearby sidewalk.”
Police said the car was not registered or insured when the crash occurred.
Car and Driver also reported that the listed VIN indicates that the car was purchased at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Palm Beach for $704,000 in early April, about the going price for a 2006 Heritage Edition GT.
“That would make replacement a very expensive endeavor,” Car and Driver noted.
Guarini was issued a citation for driving with a suspended license and a warning for operating an unregistered vehicle.
