Businessman sues bus company after £300,000 prang with his beloved Ferrari
Last updated at 17:00pm on 24th May 2007

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A millionaire businessman is suing a bus company, claiming a bungling driver caused more than £300,000 of damage to his rare Ferrari Enzo.

Property tycoon Frank Mountain has issued a High Court writ after his 220mph supercar was hit by the bus in one of the most expensive prangs in motoring history.

The writ alleges the single-decker bus was being driven too fast when it rounded a bend on the wrong side of the road and smashed into the £600,000 supercar.

Frank Martin's beloved Ferrari (top) was hit by the bus as it rounded a bend on the wrong side of the road

The hand-built Ferrari, only 399 of which have been built, then careered into a Volkswagen Golf.

The crash left the red Enzo with severe damage to its offside which had to repaired at Ferrari's Modena factory in Italy.

The six litre car was taken away on the back of a lorry after the smash just yards from Mr Mountain's mansion in the New Forest village of Burley, Hants.

The crash left the red Enzo with severe damage to its offside which had to repaired at Ferrari's Modena factory in Italy

The writ claims the crash cost more than £300,000 in repairs and related expenses including compensation for loss of earnings, loss of use of the Ferrari and a dramatic drop in the car's value.

Mr Mountain, who was the first person in the UK to take delivery of an Enzo, claims the Wilts & Dorset rounded a corner "like a bat out of hell" before striking the Ferrari.

At the time he was in the passenger seat and being driven to a race track by Ferrari dealer Paul Train.

Mr Mountain said: "The Ferrari had to be transported to Italy for repairs, which took about nine months."

The writ, taken out by Mr Mountain and his insurance company, says: "As a consequence of the collision the airbags inflated and the Ferrari filled with smoke and dust, rendering the driver unable to see and causing the Ferrari to collide with the VW Golf."

The writ alleges that both collisions were caused by the negligence of the bus driver.

The Golf was being driven by New Forest councillor Michael Thierry, who was mayor of nearby Ringwood at the time.

Cllr Thierry, whose car was written off, said: "I was number three in a convoy headed by the Wilts & Dorset vehicle.

"The Ferrari was in collision with the bus and started coming towards me - I knew for sure it was going to hit my car.

"The bus driver was terribly shaken up and the Ferrari certainly wasn't a pretty sight."

Mr Mountain, aged in his late 40s, said he had sold the Ferrari since the accident in December 2004.

Wilts & Dorset finance director Matt Dolphin said: "One of our vehicles was involved in an accident with a Ferrari three years ago and we have been served with a writ.

"We are disputing the claim and have filed a counter claim."

The bus suffered minor damage and nobody was hurt in the crash.

At the time, WPC Kirsten Trowman, of Hampshire police, said: "The accident happened on Burley Street, which is quite a narrow road.

"The vehicles collided, causing the Ferrari's offside to be ripped up and the airbags went off in the driver's face.

"It appears the driver then lost control and hit the oncoming Golf."

The Enzo, which has a top speed of 217mph, was built in 2002.

Car enthusiast Mr Mountain also has a £560,000 Maserati MC12