1,000 Porsches burn aboard this abandoned freighter

Massive, abandoned freighter burns in the Atlantic with 3,965 Volkswagen Group vehicles on board, around a quarter of which are Porsches, according to Bloomberg. Porsche estimates that 1,100 of its vehicles are on board the Felicity Ace, a freighter the size of three football fields. The Volkswagen Group is home to brands like Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and VW.

The Felicity Ace was heading from Germany to a port in Rhode Island when it issued distress signals on Wednesday morning, reporting a fire at one of its cargo decks. The 22 crew members were successfully evacuated and did not require medical attention, according to a statement from the Portuguese Navy. The ship owner is currently developing a plan to recover the derelict ship.

The incident is a troubling development for the Volkswagen Group, in an industry already plagued by supply issues stemming from pandemic-related staffing and chip shortages.