http://www.telegraph.co.uk/95/4/25/ferr2504.html (The Risc Disc Volume 2, 10/1995)The Electronic Telegraph 25 April 1995 HOME NEWS
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A MAN who took an £85,000 Ferrari out of a car showroom for a test drive was killed when it hit a tree and burst into flames. The salesman who went with him survived the crash which happened when it left a bend at Barrow upon Soar, Leics, yesterday.The customer had taken the new F355 Berlinetta model from Gray Paul Ferraris in Loughborough, one of the country's largest Ferrari dealers.
Police do not yet know how fast the car was travelling, and the dead man has not been formally identified, although he is thought to have been 48 and from Hertfordshire.
Mr David Thorley, manager of Gray Paul, said the man was a regular customer who had owned several Ferraris in the past and had shown an interest in the latest model. "The police know more than I do," he said. "All I can say is that it is a tragic accident."
The salesman, Mr Nicholas Potter, 32, from Fleckney, Leics, was in Leicester Royal Infirmary yesterday with burns to his face and hands. Mr Thorley said Mr Potter had worked for the firm since December and was a very experienced salesman.
Car dealers generally have no precise rules about who can take a test drive. Salesmen judge for themselves whether they think someone asking for a drive is a serious customer. It is usual for a customer to be accompanied by a member of staff.
A police spokesman said they were still investigating the cause of the crash, and were keen to hear from witnesses.
4 April Witness for the prosecution
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