Felicity Ace, a cargo ship packed with Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, and Bentley vehicles, has been abandoned in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean after a fire rapidly spread on board. The Portuguese Navy has safely rescued the ship's 22 crew members, but the fate of its prized cargo is still up in the air, with Felicity Ace still burning over a thousand miles off the coast of Portugal.
Felicity Ace's ill-fated journey started on February 10 when the cargo ship departed from the port in Emden, Germany. It was initially expected to arrive in the United States on the morning of February 23, with the ship set to dock at Davisville, Rhode Island.
Unfortunately, the 656 foot-long roll-on/roll-off ship suffered a mishap in the middle of its voyage, with the car carrier catching fire in the North Atlantic on Wednesday, February 16. According to a statement released by the Portuguese Navy, Felicity Ace was sailing 90 nautical miles southwest of Portugal's Azores when the fire's outbreak started.
The fire, which started in the ship's cargo hold, spread so quickly, forcing the 22-man crew of Felicity Ace to abandon the vessel. They were safely picked up and taken to a local hotel, with Ponta Delgada Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center the ones coordinating the rescue.
However, time is fast running out to salvage the vehicles on board Felicity Ace. Business Insider obtained a statement from Volkswagen Group regarding the incident. The German automaker said that approximately 4,000 vehicles were on board the Felicity Ace at the time of the fire.
The spokesperson for Volkswagen Group did not break down the specific brands affected by the blaze. The automaker sells vehicles under the Volkswagen, Porsche, Bentley, Bugatti, Audi, and Lamborghini brands in the United States.
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Porsche spokesperson Luke Vandezande confirmed to Autoblog that approximately 1,100 Porsche models are among Felicity Ace's cargo. He said that they are already in contact with the shipping company, and the details of the cars onboard the Felicity Ace are now known. Vandezande added that "customers affected by the incident are being contacted by their dealer."
One of those expectant Porsche customers is journalist and host Matt Farah, who said he had a 2022 Boxster Spyder awaiting delivery on board the ship. Farah said that the dealer confirmed that his car, along with at least a dozen other vehicles they were expecting, is on Felicity Ace.
The Drive also got word from a Bentley spokesperson that 189 of its vehicles are on board the cargo ship. Those luxury cars have an estimated total retail value of at least $30 million. Audi also confirmed the presence of its vehicles aboard the stricken cargo ship, but the German automaker declined to provide an estimate on the number of cars on board.
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