A rare pink Ferrari was sent flying after it crashed at a busy junction, careening onto the pavement and into bushes. Three years later, its owner, Lisa-Marie Brown, has been left to pick up the bill after her insurance company refused to pay up.
Ms Brown designed the bespoke £175k Ferrari California, which she uses for promotional work. The entrepreneur chose the bright pink colour, forbidden by the Italian manufacturer, to encourage more women to go into business. CCTV captured the moment the flashy vehicle collided with another car in August 2023.
Insurance Claim Denied
Insurer Admiral refused a claim submitted by Ms Brown on the basis that her car had failed its MOT and was therefore not considered ‘roadworthy’ at the time of the crash. In August 2023, the car was found to have been leaking fuel from its rear shock absorber. Rather than having the issue fixed, Ms Brown racked up some 128 miles in the five days following the failed test.
Admiral’s decision was upheld by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), which dismissed all five points made in Ms Brown’s complaint.
Owner's Reaction
The businesswoman told the Sun the incident was the ‘craziest thing that ever happened in my life’. She said she had been left to ‘fix everything myself’ but vowed to repair the luxury vehicle. The serious incident also left her with whiplash and other injuries. ‘My life has been on hold for the past three years, it’s been incredibly upsetting’, she added.
Aside from the Ferrari, Ms Brown has several other cars in her pink inventory, including a similarly coloured Porsche Panamera and a rare pink McLaren 600LT.
Customisation and Repair
As Ferrari does not accept orders for pink cars, she had the California model wrapped at the Stratstone Ferrari dealership in Manchester. She has now turned to mechanic business Mechanify in Cardiff to get the Ferrari, which she purchased for £120,000 in 2019, back on the road. Ms Brown runs a supercar hangout as well as a valet service and cafe.
A spokesperson for Admiral said that driving without a valid MOT is ‘dangerous and could put the driver and other road users at risk’ and would nullify any cover regardless of which party was at fault.
