There are many reasons why only rich people buy supercars: it’s not just the price but the cost of living with, or repairing, one. It’s a risk any second-hand car buyer is taking, as our earlier story about a HUGE Ferrari F355 engine repair bill proves.
On the other hand, if someone actually offered you a supercar, let’s say a Lamborghini, for free would you actually turn it down? Of course not; you’d just grab the keys, buckle up in the driver’s seat and fire up the engine.
Well, that’s exactly what happened to David Dopp, a 34-year old truck driver living in Santaquin, a town of 9,000 residents near Salt Lake City, Utah. He won a US$358,000 Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster in a “Joe Schmo to Lambo” contest that was sponsored by Maverik convenience stores.
Now, excluding the not-so-tasteful lime green color, is this man lucky or what?
The answer, sadly, is no. That same evening, only six hours after he received the keys to the Lambo, Dopp took his family and friends for a ride in the roadster. During one of the joy rides, he hit some black ice while negotiating a corner at 45 mph and spun out control, jumping a curb before he came to a stop 75 feet later, after going through a fence.
Luckily, no one was hurt and, as he told The Associated Press, the damage caused isn’t that big – a punctured oil pan and tire, and some scratches on the bodywork. Police say that the summer tires the Murcielago was wearing, and its powerful V12, which Dodd naturally wasn’t used to, contributed to the accident.
Instead of repairing it, however, he’s putting it up for sale because he simply can’t afford either the taxes or the insurance, which costs US$3,500 for six months – and which was, luckily for Dodd, were already paid before the accident.
“I’ve got a family to support. I have bills more important than a Lamborghini”, said Dopp. “I’m going to sell it. I already had offers on it.”
Dodd also won $5,000 worth of driving lessons at Miller Motorsports Park, and never really expected to keep it for a long time, since he knew he couldn’t afford it.
If only he’d shown some restraint that night, or waited until he got those lessons, maybe he would have been able to live the dream for a little longer than a mere six hours.
On the other hand, getting around US$300,000 after selling it will certainly take care of those bills…
Story References: Washington Post
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