Cargo Ship Carrying Porsches Catches Fire, Is Evacuated

Thankfully, the crew exited the ship safely

Porsche
Porsche logo seen on a parked Porsche car in South Edmonton.
Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images

We’re currently living through a supply chain crisis, and it’s having an especially strange effect on the market for cars. If you’ve ever wanted to sell your used car for a profit, for instance, now might be the time to do it, depending on your make and model. And while these supply chain issues have to end at some point, there have also been some events that have complicated matters — like, say, cargo ships sinking.

Last month, a cargo ship full of cookbooks sank to the bottom of the ocean. This month, it’s the automotive industry’s turn to look at a ship in distress and see future headaches.

The New York Times reports that the Felicity Ace recently caught fire off the coast of the Azores. The ship’s crew safely evacuated the vessel, leaving it both adrift and aflame. Its cargo? A vast array of automobiles, including 1,100 Porsches.

According to the report, the fire started on Wednesday, in the middle of a voyage that began in Germany and was slated to arrive next week in Rhode Island. Reporting from The Drive offers more details on what else was on board, including 189 Bentleys and around 4,000 total vehicles from the Volkswagen Motor Group.

The fate of the vehicles on board the ship remains unclear. The crew is now safe and on dry land, though — which is one piece of welcome news from all of this.

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