Hundreds of cars from burning ship may not be sold, BMW wants to destroy them

In July 2023, a fire broke out on the Fremantle Highway, a freighter full of cars en route from Bremerhaven to Port Said, Egypt. The ship caught fire just under 30 kilometers off the coast of Ameland. More than 3,700 cars were on board. Many of these cars were damaged beyond repair.

There were also cars that appeared to be in good condition, including the BMW 260s that were the subject of the lawsuit. These cars were actually intended for the Asian market. The Taiwanese importer considered them lost and received a refund through their insurance.

'Million-dollar investment'

Rotterdam entrepreneurs saw potential in the cars, which they described as being in " excellent condition ." They bought the cars "with 0 kilometers on the odometer" for just over five million euros and hoped to sell them in Europe. That's less than €20,000 each, far less than the value of the same new models that weren't on the ship.

Still, it was a multi-million dollar investment for the entrepreneurs involved. "A lot of money, certainly, but all the vehicles are generously equipped with options. They are expensive models," they said at the time.

In the lawsuit, the entrepreneurs point out that the transport plastic and foil were still present. "And not melted, as would be expected in extreme heat."

In addition, the measured pollution levels in a number of randomly selected cleaned cars were found to be well below the official, permissible limits. "The observed rust formation and the condition of the tires are also around the levels expected for a new car."

BMW objection

Still, BMW would prefer the cars not be released. The German carmaker claims that selling them here would infringe on its trademark rights. According to the German company, the cars would indeed be damaged and pose "major safety risks for consumers in the long term." This would also damage BMW's reputation.

The German car manufacturer also commissioned its own investigation. The findings revealed that the cars exhibited hardened door seals, discoloration of parking camera lenses, corrosion of metals ("probably attributable to the effects of hydrochloric acid fumes"), and contamination of the interior and exterior of the cars by toxic soot particles.

The judge agreed and believes the BMWs may have hidden defects. The cars must now be returned to BMW so they can be destroyed. The legal costs must be covered by the businesses. The Hague District Court ruled this on Wednesday. The ruling was made public this afternoon.

The entrepreneurs will appeal, the FD and de Volkskrant previously reported. Until this appeal is heard, the cars can remain on the premises of one of the Dutch entrepreneurs and will not have to be shredded. According to the newspapers, it is unclear when the appeal will be heard.

For sale in Japan

Last month, it emerged that several expensive BMW Alpina models from the wrecked ship had been shipped to Japan. At least one of the vehicles turned up in a car dealership showroom there, the Dagblad van het Noorden reported.

BMW told the newspaper it was not involved and that these cars will also be destroyed.