In 1978, two children found a Ferrari buried in their home's garden: behind it was an alleged insurance fraud
The Ferrari Dino 246 GTS had disappeared in 1974 and was found in 1978 beneath the garden of a house in Los Angeles
There are discoveries that seem straight out of a movie, but happen by chance. In February 1978, two children playing in the garden of their home in Los Angeles (United States) started digging in the ground and found something they did not expect: a Ferrari Dino 246 GTS that had been buried for four years. What began as a game ended up uncovering a story of disappearance, an insurance payout, and an alleged fraud that was never completed as planned.
The children were digging when their shovels struck something strange beneath the grass. After removing some of the earth, they found some plastic and a green metal surface . The family alerted the authorities, and several officers went to the house to investigate the discovery. At first, the scene was so baffling that investigators even considered whether there might be something else underground.
The excavation revealed that what had been buried was a 1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS , a highly valuable Italian sports car. The vehicle had been protected with plastic sheeting, blankets, and other materials in an attempt to prevent moisture and dirt from damaging it during the time it remained hidden.
A disappeared Ferrari and an insurance payout
The license plate and the chassis number made it possible to quickly identify the car. It belonged to Rosendo Cruz, a plumber from California who had bought it new in 1974 for $22,500 . Just a few weeks after purchasing it, he reported that it had been stolen.
Since the car did not turn up, the insurance company ended up paying him compensation for its disappearance. However, the 1978 discovery completely changed the course of the case.
Years later, an informant provided investigators with a version according to which the Ferrari's disappearance had allegedly been part of an insurance fraud scheme . According to that account, the owner had allegedly hired several people to make the vehicle disappear so he could collect the insurance payout . The plan was to get rid of the sports car, but those who were given the job allegedly decided not to destroy it.
Instead of sinking it in the Pacific Ocean or dismantling it to sell its parts, they chose to bury it whole on a plot of land that was undeveloped at the time. The intention was supposedly to recover it once the matter had been forgotten. However, the place eventually became a residential area, and houses were built on the land. The car ended up beneath one of them, and no one ever came back for it.
The Ferrari was restored after its discovery
The passage of years underground left significant damage to the vehicle. Moisture had affected the bodywork and the interior, while the extraction also caused damage. Despite this, the Ferrari aroused enormous interest because of its history, and the insurance company decided to put it up for sale.
The car passed through the hands of several owners until it was acquired by an enthusiast who drove its restoration . The specialist in charge of the work managed to bring the engine back to life and recover much of its original appearance.
The sports car's story became forever linked to its unusual discovery. Its owner even decided to personalize the license plate with the inscription " DUG UP ", which in English means " dug up ". A direct reference to the four years the Ferrari spent hidden underground before two children, who were simply playing in their home's garden, brought it to light.
