Ferrari has apologised after one of its cars damaged a 600-year-old historical site in China.
The apology came after a video of a 458 Italia doing doughnuts (or at least attempting to) atop the Zhonghua Gate Tower were posted on the internet. The tower, built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) was subsequently closed to tourists while Chinese officials attempted to remove the tyre marks from the ramparts. Somewhat ironically the car involved is a special edition of the 458 sports car built to commemorate 20 years of Ferrari sales in China.
Ferrari has apologised unreservedly for the incident, saying the driver of the car was an employee of the dealership in Nanjing and not an official Ferrari employee. The incident was not, Ferrari claims, an organised publicity stunt, as had earlier been suggested.
"The car was authorised to be on the wall for static display only, with full permission of the relevant local authorities, with the event being organised and managed by a local Nanjing Ferrari dealer to celebrate 20 years of Ferrari sales in China," reads the Ferrari statement. "Unfortunately, an employee of the dealership (not a Ferrari employee) took it upon himself to drive the car in the way that you will see in the video, with the very regrettable result that tyre marks were left on the ancient monument."
Ferrari has promised to work with Chinese officials to repair any damage caused and states that the Nanjing dealership "has taken the necessary actions to discipline the employee in question."