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Rare Lamborghini wrecked after bursting into flames on ‘test drive’
You would expect it to stand out from the usual city centre traffic under any circumstances.
But this 2005 model Lamborghini Gallardo drew a crowd when it pulled up outside a nightclub and burst into flames. Witnesses saw smoke billowing from the car – formerly one of only 400 in the country – as it stopped in Peterborough.
The driver and passenger leapt out and called 999. Firemen later said the £75,000 car’s carbon fibre and alloy construction made it burn more intensely.
Colin Jeffery, assistant manager of the nearby Solstice bar in Peterborough, said: ‘It was engulfed in flames and there were loud popping noises all over the place as the windows and the tyres exploded.
‘There was no end of people gathered round, something like 150 people. A lot of them were stood there filming it on their mobile phones.
‘It’s nothing new to see a car on fire but to see a Lamborghini in flames is something else altogether. It was an unbelievable sight, to be honest. Quite surreal.’
Five volunteer firefighters spent about 20 minutes bringing the intense blaze under control.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, although the car, a 2005 model, was removed from the scene by police who have begun an investigation.
Chief volunteer fire officer Tony De Matteis said: ‘It was a bit of an unusual one for us because it was quite different from the usual Fiestas or Escorts that we get called to.
‘Quite often, you get explosions with burning cars which makes it difficult for us to get close enough to fight the fire.
‘In this case, it was the tyres and the shock absorbers in the suspension that were going.
Lamborghini Gallardo‘This one was made worse for us because there is so much carbon fibre and alloy construction with high-performance cars, which makes it more of an intense fire than a standard car.’
According to Antony Hawkes, the chairman of Lamborghini Club UK, there are only 5,000 to 6,000 Gallardos in existence and only a few hundred on the road in Britain.
Brand new, the supercars sell for between £115,000 and £130,000, while second-hand prices usually start from around £70,000.
Mr Hawkes said: ‘It’s heartbreaking for whoever owns it – and looking of the pictures of it burned out is quite a distressing sight.’
Lamborghini Gallardo fire: from Lambo to flambé – owner tells of horror
VISIBLY shocked, Janade Hussain, the owner of a £75,000 Lamborghini Gallardo Coupe sports car reduced to a smouldering ruin by fire spoke of his devastation at losing his pride and joy.
Online car dealer Mr Hussain (31) bought the four-year-old car six months ago and despite numerous offers to buy it he always refused.
But on Friday night (3 July), the expensive supercar was destroyed in a dramatic blaze which happened in front of about 100 revellers in Peterborough city centre.
Although Mr Hussain, who runs Tudor Motor Company from his home in Springfield, Fletton, is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his prized machine, he is just glad to be alive.
Today, the young entrepreneur told The Evening Telegraph how he had a lucky escape from the sports car after spotting smoke bellowing from the rear of the vehicle.
He immediately stopped the car, which he was driving to take a friend into the city, outside Natural England in Northminster and ran to get a fire extinguisher.
“When I got out, I saw that the back bumper was starting to melt so thought I had to act fast,” he said.
“I ran to get a fire extinguisher, but when I got back it was too dangerous to get near and all of a sudden it turned into a fireball. I was just shocked, I thought I was having a nightmare.
“It’s a good job I spotted the smoke because I could have been in all sorts of trouble, I’m just thankful I got out alive.”
Now, Mr Hussain is facing the difficult task of speaking to insurance companies about the loss of his prized possession and trying to work out how his business can cope.
He started the business eight years at his former home in Paston, Peterborough, selling smaller cheaper cars, before moving up the gears to sell more expensive vehicles.
He added: “It’s a big loss and there is a lot of headaches with the insurance. The premiums will go up as well, but I’m just trying to figure out what the best way around it will be because I really wasn’t ready for this.
“I worked myself up to bigger and better cars and unfortunately, this was one of the most expensive cars I’ve ever owned. I didn’t really want to sell it, because it’s not every day you get to have a Lamborghini.”
A fire service spokesperson said the fire ignited at the rear of the vehicle, which is where the majority of the damage was, but it was not yet possible to say with any certainty how it started.
Police say they are also investigating the cause of the blaze.
Source: PeterboroughToday.co.uk
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