The status of almost 4,000 cars from various dealers owned by the Volkswagen Group is still unknown after a fire broke out Wednesday morning on a ship carrying the vehicles across the Atlantic Ocean.
The 22-member crew aboard the Felicity Ace was safely evacuated, according to a statement from operator Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL).
Volkswagen Group, which owns several car manufacturer brands including Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini and Porsche, declined to provide details about the ship’s cargo to the Business Journal.
“We are aware of an incident today involving a cargo ship transporting Volkswagen Group vehicles across the Atlantic,” Volkswagen spokesperson Dirk Ameer told the Business Journal in an email. “All crew members have been rescued and are safe. We are in contact with the shipping company to get more information about the incident.”
The company, though, provided a statement to Insider confirming the nearly 4,000 cars on the ship, which was bound for Davisville, Rhode Island, from the city of Emden in northwestern Germany.
According to the automotive website The Drive, the Felicity Ace is carrying 1,100 Porsches, 189 Bentleys and an unspecified number of Audis.
It’s unclear whether the ship fire will impact automotive inventory on the West Coast or locally in Long Beach. Representatives for Circle Audi and Circle Porsche in Long Beach declined to comment on the record about the potential impact to their customers.
Mitch Atkins, general sales manager at Timmons Volkswagen of Long Beach, said Friday that he has not heard back on whether or not his dealership was affected.
“I don’t know if any of our cars were specifically on that ship,” he said. “I checked with our rep, and I think it is too early to know.”
According to Atkins, all Volkswagen dealers have a monthly meeting coming up soon where he expects to receive updates.
The abandoned Felicity Ace, meanwhile, is being monitored by a Portuguese Navy warship. A salvage team is en route to the vessel, according to MOL, and is scheduled to arrive sometime Friday.
The status of the vehicles—and how many may be salvaged—is still unclear. Porsche of America and Audi of America did not respond to requests for comment.
