For kids, playtime often includes a variety of imaginary activities. We all grow up digging around in the backyard hoping to strike it rich and find some hidden ancient treasures. What we typically find is a rusty, old Matchbox car or a present left behind by a dog. These two California boys, however, actually managed to unearth the most incredible and unexpected treasure in their backyard!
In 1978, the boys’ family moved into a Los Angeles home and while digging in their backyard the two boys discovered quite the amazing find. They started unearthing their buried treasure, but when they realized the magnitude of it, they came to the conclusion that they needed help. The family then called in authorities to help with the excavation and soon came to see that what was buried on their property was very, very valuable. A buried Ferrari!
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This wasn’t just any Ferrari either, it turned out that the underground car was a very rare 1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS, which is an incredibly valuable model.
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The car had been somewhat mummified, and its underground location was clearly unintentional, which raised further mystery. After exhuming the Italian sports car, it was obvious that someone had planned on returning to retrieve the vehicle at some point in time.
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With the Ferrari’s VIN number, authorities were able to trace the last owner. They also contacted the insurance company. The investigation revealed that the previous owners of the house had hired criminals to drive the vehicle into the ocean so they could claim the insurance money. Instead, the thieves decided to bury the car in hopes to come back for it.
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The Ferrari Dino that was restored and then auctioned off after being on display with the incredible story being reported across the nation. It was purchased by a young mechanic who owned his own automotive shop in California. The going price was estimated to be between $5,000 and $9,000.
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He fully restored the buried Ferrari to the exact factory condition and often enters the car into car shows. Here are the pictures of the car after the complete restoration.
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The car even has a vanity plate which reads “DUG UP”. How perfect is that?
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I’m amazed at the fact that two boys digging in their yard unearthed something this incredible. Talk about a dream come true. It’s a shame that they weren’t able to keep it.
But this is something they will be talking about for the rest of their lives. I mean, It’s not every day you find a Ferrari Dino buried under your lawn.
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