A stable of 11 of the world’s fastest super cars recently sold at auction for 3.1 Million Euros in France (about $4 Million USD). Originally, the cars belonged to Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. What a mouthful. The cars were seized in 2011 by French authorities under the alleged suspicion that Teodoro stole public funds to buy the cars and other items. While that’s bad, I’m more interested in the cars (sorry). Law’s not my calling.
When French authorities raided Mangue’s 101-room mansion near the Champs Elysees in Paris, France. The cars seized had little to no mileage on them, and they are: Two Bugatti Veyrons, a Ferrari Enzo, a Maserati MC12, a Porsche Carrera GT, a Ferrari 599 GTO, a Rolls-Royce Ghost, a Maybach 62S Landulet, an Aston Martin One-77, and a pair of Bentley’s (a Mulsanne and a Continental SuperSports).
International Business Times reported that international auction house Drouot sold the cars. Considering the fact that a Bugatti Veyron, even a used one will set you back at least $1 Million, the winning bidders made themselves the deal of a century.
Other items seized and sold at the auction were vintage wines, rare jewels, and paintings by artists such as Degas and Renoir.
Court documents revealed to the press that the cars were part of a fleet of 26 rare and expensive cars shipped to France from the U.S. in 2009 at a total cost of $12 Million. The remaining 15 cars were shipped to Equitorial Guinea in 2010. These same documents reveal that an arrest warrant has been issued to countries such as the U.S., France, England, New Guinea, Australia, and Germany. The grounds? Misused public funds. International Business Times also reports that Equitorial Guinea is appealing the case to the U.N. and have the investigation blocked because of diplomatic immunity. They claim that the Paris mansion is part of the country’s embassy. Only time and a U.N. court will give the verdict.
The Unmuffled Auto News 