Former Gizmondo exec's crashed $1m Ferrari Enzo
We're already on the phone with our friends
at Merriam Webster to get the definition of poetic justice revised: Stefan Eriksson -- the former Gizmondo executive who stepped down amidst allegations of his
involvement in the Uppsala Mafia Swedish organized crime ring, and who perhaps most embodied the internal corruption of
Tiger Telematics -- no longer has his 2003 Ferrari Enzo, of which 399 were made, and each cost a million dollars. You
see, apparently while racing a Mercedes SLR the car careened off an embankment and hit a pole at about 125MPH, which
literally split the thing in two right down the center (don't worry, he lived to see this post). Without giggling too
much longer at the unbelievable irony of this incident, it's worth noting that some more deets have surfaced about just
how how much money Gizmondo hemorrhaged last year before filing for bankruptcy:
between January and September of 2005 Tiger Telematics lost £140m (about $244 million), up another 33m from the
$210 in the hole they were when
we reported on their operating
losses last year. So without getting too schadenfreude up in this piece, let's just say this post goes out to all
the disenfranchised Gizmondo owners and former employees of Tiger Telematics, and we'll leave it at that.[Thanks, Ryan, via Pocket-Lint]
Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Transportation
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Oren @ Feb 22nd 2006 12:52PM
The best part is, he claims that someone known only to him as "The German" (or in my head "Ze German") was driving, and that he "disappeared after the crash." He also had a blood alcohol level of .09.
narco @ Feb 22nd 2006 12:55PM
Oh man, I heard about this on the local news the other day and wondered why a Ferrari crash is such a big deal that it deserves its own news story. They didn't even mention the Gizmondo connection, but based on the sales of it, I guess they figured no one would care.
Fishes,
narco.
David T @ Feb 22nd 2006 12:55PM
"Telematics lost 140 (about $244 million)"
my my, the US dollar is really dropping nowadays...
shugs @ Feb 22nd 2006 12:56PM
At least he went out in style- I saw one of those at the San Francisco Auto show: that car is REAL small, but tight
Bobby @ Feb 22nd 2006 12:56PM
Here it is aswell:
http://sybarites.org/2006/02/21/ferrari-enzo-crashes-in-malibu/
Nihls @ Feb 22nd 2006 12:58PM
Maybe he should stick to console race games.
Max @ Feb 22nd 2006 12:59PM
Before we laugh at him, is he OK, cos its not nice to laugh at dead people.
A 125mph crash must have seriously damged him, if he isn't dead.
Randall Bennett @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:02PM
Max,
Actually, he took off running for the hills, and a helicopter search of the area didn't find him.
Interesting, eh?
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/21/ferrari-enzo-half-off/
Later,
Randall
Jon @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:05PM
The Enzo never costed $1 million.
Threefingeredlord @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:05PM
As a gizmondo owner im happy to say, HA HA MR.ERIKSSON, BURN IN HELL!!!!!!!!!!111111111111111TW0
Although if he really died i think thats a little to far....
daaper @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:13PM
no, it's ok to laugh...another story I read said he was "only slightly injured".
Not only was he drunk (0.09), but he claims he wasn't driving....that a german guy named Dietrich was driving and fled after the crash.
adam @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:15PM
"The passenger suffered a cut lip, but besides that, the only casualties were the car and the driver's ego."
EM @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:15PM
To #5. He was fine. The story is weird though. He blew a 0.09, so was legally drunk. But he stated he was the passenger. His German friend, which he only knew his first name, was supposedly driving and took off running up the hill and has not been found. Stefan had a cut lip and the only blood in the car was on the driver side airbag, not the passenger.
Loban @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:15PM
that poor poor car. he should be shot for crashing such a fine automobile.
adam @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:16PM
that quote was from the autoblog article, so now we can commence the guilt-free mockery.
Prateek @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:19PM
NOOOOOOOOOO!
Why did such a wonderful car have to go in such a sad way.
What a prick, first the Gizmondo and now the Enzo, this guy is going to burn in a small firery corner of hell...
Havanahjoe @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:26PM
Did the passenger airbag deploy? If it did then there was a passenger, and I want to believe that the airbag system on an enzo will deactivate the passenger airbag if there's no one sitting there.
Ed @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:27PM
Why is it that a dumbass like him can survive a crash like that? Where's the divine justice?
charlie @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:29PM
you said schadenfreude!
Enrico @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:33PM
How about fixing the typos? There are two at least. Engadget standards are slipping...
Pegan @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:37PM
"9. The Enzo never costed $1 million."
MSRP of around $650,000, actual street price is/was much higher. I've heard of them selling for closer to 2 million than 1.
...and 'costed' isn't a word.
embassy @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:37PM
wat wud u call an enzo owned by a gizmondo employee??
Enzmondo..??
Gizmenzo..??...
blah...guess we'll never know :(
Peter Orosz @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:37PM
I believe the price of an Enzo was in the $600,000 range. But you couldn't just call Ferrari and buy one--purchase was invitation only, to select Ferrari customers. Of course, with a single crash destroying at least .25 percent of the entire Enzo fleet in existence, the aftermarket price has nowhere to go but up.
jwer @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:38PM
#3: That's an exchange rate of $1.74 per Pound Sterling; the exchange rate has been dropping steadily since its high over $1.90 in late 2004.
So, in relative value, as I assume you meant, no, it isn't dropping; the Pound is.
sas @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:41PM
its funny how everyone in here is hating on the dude. Just because its a ferrari doesnt mean its not prone to crash...come on, the guy can be bankrupt, but he'll still have more money than all of us readers (except bill gates)
Fire Hazard @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:45PM
AW MAN! Now there are only 398. As far as I know no other enzo has been crashed. They weren't originaly sold for 1 million but now they are worth that because of how rare they are. Maybe now they will be worth more. Sad about the enzo being smashed but laughing that it was that gizmondo dude's enzo. LOL! That dude is such a loser!
Chris @ Feb 22nd 2006 2:00PM
#9: Yes, it did. It was never listed with Ferrari for a million, the Ferrari price started at $643,330. But with most cars that are in high demand, the dealer sets the price much higher.
Furthermore, the list of buyers for this car was restricted to "heritage buyers"; you and/or your family had to have owned Ferraris before to purchase this vehicle. Many people did it as an investment.
CC @ Feb 22nd 2006 2:00PM
#23: ----
charlie @ Feb 22nd 2006 2:08PM
25 Is Mr.Gates watching us?
Rob @ Feb 22nd 2006 2:21PM
Carl was driving the slr. Dont worry about the enzo, stephan has another but in black.
FmrGizGrl @ Feb 22nd 2006 2:44PM
I wish I'd been there - I would have suffocated him with his own deployed airbag (the one on the driver's side, of course). Then I would have staked my claim to some salvageable piece of the Enzo - a $3000 rim, let's say - and sold it to recoup the money I'm still owed in back pay and expenses.
#25 - and THAT (among other reasons) is why we're hating on the guy.
#30 - If you're talking about who I think you're talking about, Karl was most definitely NOT driving the SLR. If he was, he would have finished the job.
Chris Renton @ Feb 22nd 2006 2:55PM
I often let friends whom I only know their first names drive my million dollar car in street races.
There is no way I could have gotten into a car accident during a street race then jump in the passenger seat and blame a non-existing friend. No way.
lupinstel @ Feb 22nd 2006 3:04PM
He was probably distracted playing an exciting game of Sticky Balls on his Gizmondo.
nick_normal @ Feb 22nd 2006 3:07PM
"the driver was a German man called Dietrich who had fled the scene"
ahhahaha!! what a scam! "Dietrich" fools Erikkson, Erikkson fools LAPD, we get fooled. everybody's duped!
Hoopty @ Feb 22nd 2006 3:17PM
I think KITT was driving..."But Michael, you're driving too fast". Or was KARR the evil one? Maybe in Germany the translated Knight Rider name for KITT was Dieter.
Pablo @ Feb 22nd 2006 3:33PM
Interesting:
http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=1162144&tw=wn_wire_story
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,185694,00.html
"A three-hour search failed to turn up anyone, and officials said they were skeptical of the account. Only the driver's side air bag deployed, Brooks said."
Something is fishy!!...
brian @ Feb 22nd 2006 3:47PM
I'd say hes going to jail but I'm sure he could buy his way out screaming "I'm Gizmondo" all the way. What's a couple million to stay out of jail for the man that just throws his Ferrari into a pole.
Geoffrey Sneddon @ Feb 22nd 2006 3:50PM
The Enzo cost 500,000 euros, not 1,000,000 USD
hongbits @ Feb 22nd 2006 3:50PM
ATTN:Stefan Eriksson!
did you think that you and the "german" guy paying the old lady 2000usd to drive you to beverly hills was going to stay quiet? and the flashing of the badge and saying you arnt spose to be here...... geez you would think you had more of a brain if you were under investigation by an undercover..... anyway i sure hope you enjoyed your time in malibu and the drive was worth the 2 grand you both paid.
oh yeah, i have sent this off to a "few" of my friends too so if ya read this in time dont answer the door!
hb.
arnold @ Feb 22nd 2006 3:53PM
He should have went with the FXX that comes with track time and lessons....
LTM @ Feb 22nd 2006 4:09PM
May the ghost of Enzo Ferrari haunt him to the end of his days the stupid drunk bastard!
Chris Lemcke @ Feb 22nd 2006 4:16PM
the real question is who won the race.
John Doe @ Feb 22nd 2006 4:38PM
"What a prick, first the Gizmondo and now the Enzo, this guy is going to burn in a small firery corner of hell..."
Yah because I'm sure a prerequisite for burning in hell is mistreating a hunk of metal and raping a company into the ground.
Gadgetdude @ Feb 22nd 2006 4:44PM
Some amazing pictures of the crash site:
http://www.jalopnik.com/cars/news/more-on-the-enzo-incident-on-pch-with-photos-156121.php
chloe @ Feb 22nd 2006 6:01PM
Precisely, #41. Anyone know who would/should have won?
chloe @ Feb 22nd 2006 6:01PM
Precisely, #40. Anyone know who would/should have won?
o rly @ Feb 22nd 2006 6:47PM
The Enzo given to the pope sold for a little over 1 million, and that was definitely a special circumstance.
@ 42/John Doe: "Yah because I'm sure a prerequisite for burning in hell is mistreating a hunk of metal and raping a company into the ground."
Would the ex-CFO of Enron like Andrew Fastow or ex-accountants of WorldCom/MCI like Bernard Ebbers or Scott Sullivan be liable for burning in hell? IIRC, a lot of people lost their jobs due to Stefan Eriksson's Gizmondo failure.
Jonas @ Feb 22nd 2006 7:32PM
42:
Well. This guy and his minions at Gizmondo (his fellow Swedes) was known as the "Uppsala mob" in the mid ninties here in Sweden. They spent their time doing an assortment of crime related activities including fraud and embesslement. A couple of them actually spent a year or two in jail. At least according to the Swedish national rag "Aftonbladet"...
Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy then :)
What I do not get is how they have succeeded in getting the kind of positions in the business world as they have. Or is it as I have always supected that the big companies are all run by psycopaths and criminals?
ixlr8 @ Feb 22nd 2006 9:08PM
A few tidbits:
Pope's Enzo (that sounds funny -give's new meaning to poe mobile) sold at charity auction for 1.25M
this is the 2nd Enzo wreck this year, believe it or not one was crashed in Texas by the owner's daughter who was street racing another spoiled teen in a Lambo Murcielago...UNBELIEVABLE, must see pics how can I post them?
Value of car is most likely at or above 1M due to exclusivity
I have seen pics of one or two other wrecked Enzos so there are less than 398 out there for sure
ray @ Feb 22nd 2006 9:11PM
stick to the X-BOX GAMES