One month after a spectacular heist worthy of an action movie, the nightmare is far from over for the ILM Auto garage. On the night of January 19-20, 2026, a Ferrari 488 Pista estimated at nearly €400,000 was stolen before being used as a battering ram... and then destroyed in an accident followed by a fire. Today, the supercar may be a charred memory, but its consequences are very real. And above all, they continue.
A Ferrari stolen, destroyed... and still not compensated
The facts had left a lasting impression. Two individuals had entered the garage via the roof terrace at around 2.15 a.m., methodically searching the premises for almost 45 minutes. Their target was clear: a red 720 hp Ferrari 488 Pista on display in the showroom.
Unable to get the vehicle out discreetly, the criminals finally decided to use it as a battering ram, smashing the garage's bay window before fleeing. A few kilometers further on, on a road made slippery by the rain, the escape was cut short. The Ferrari hit a guardrail and burst into flames. By the time the police arrived, all that remained was a burnt-out carcass. The thieves had disappeared. But while the investigation continues, garage owner Nathan Azaïs is now facing a new ordeal: the legal process.
One month later, the garage remains marked
One month later, the ILM Auto showroom still bears the scars of the burglary. The gutted window has still not been replaced. A large plank of wood serves as a temporary façade. Inside, another panel protects the manager's office, which was also hit during the break-in. Upstairs, a damaged electric shutter remains jammed, plunging a room into permanent darkness.
Every morning, the reminder is brutal. «We arrive every day, we see these wooden planks, we can't move on,» the manager tells La Dépeche newspaper. Beyond the emotional shock, the garage's entire business was weakened. The destroyed Ferrari had already been sold and was due to be delivered a few days later. The deposit had to be reimbursed, leaving a considerable financial hole.
The interminable wait for insurance
Within days of the theft, two surveys were launched: one for the damage to the premises, the other for the destroyed vehicle. One for the damage to the premises, the other for the destroyed vehicle. But the reality was quite different.
Between email exchanges, repeated calls and the sending of documents, the case seems to be stalling. A second expert opinion has only been scheduled for March 4, further delaying any prospect of compensation.
In the meantime, repairs have been suspended. The garage owner has even asked for a guard service to secure his other exceptional vehicles. This request was refused, as the guarantee is limited to 48 hours. In the meantime, the consequences were mounting: the cold was seeping through the floorboards, energy bills were climbing, and concern was growing.
«We pay the consequences of a burglary».»
Faced with the slowness of the process, the bitterness is palpable. «We're disgusted. We're up against people who won't help us, while we're forced to pay.»
The insurer assures us that procedures are underway and that teams are mobilized to finalize the case. On the ground, however, the wait is getting tiresome. Especially as the garage continues to exhibit top-of-the-range cars, in premises that are still in a fragile state.
«We pay the consequences of a burglary. We feel alone.»
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