The $521,900 (QR1.9 million) Qatari-owned Lamborghini Aventador that was seized by police in London last week remains unclaimed and in the possession of London’s Metropolitan Police, New Scotland Yard.
There, it has been put on show as a warning to other drivers about the repercussions of driving without insurance.
UPDATE | 9:55pm
The Metropolitan Police have told Doha News that the car has now been returned to its owner, after the driver presented “the necessary documents to make the vehicle legally roadworthy” earlier today.
They tell us that although the driver was not arrested, his details were taken so that a summons can be issued for him to appear before a local magistrate.
It’s likely that the court appearance will result in a maximum fine of £1000 (QR5548).
The police say that the car, thought to be owned by 24-year-old Nasser Al-Thani, was seized as part of “Operation Cubo,” its crackdown on uninsured drivers on London’s streets.
It was taken away by police on June 26 after being stopped on Wilton Place in Knightsbridge, just around the corner from Qatar-owned Harrods.
The car is just one of many shipped over to London every summer by Khaleeji (Gulf) owners who spend their holiday in the city.
Crushed?
Penalties for driving an uninsured car in the UK include a fixed fine of £100 (QR555), a court prosecution, with a maximum fine of £1,000 (QR5548), and/or having your vehicle wheel-clamped, impounded or destroyed.
The UK’s Independent newspaper is suggesting that the supercar could be crushed (the fate of many cars seized during the operation), but the Metropolitan Police have told Doha News that this is unlikely, given its value – only low value cars tend to be crushed, because of their relatively high value as scrap metal.
It could, however, be sold on if left unclaimed – to date, London’s police have raised in excess of QR5m through the scrap and auction of thousands of vehicles seized under Operation Cubo.
A total of 10,318 vehicles have been seized since the operation first began in October 2011.
We are awaiting more information from the police about the car’s fate, and we’ll update this story when we know more.
Thoughts?
Credit: Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Police