In 1978, an extraordinary discovery stunned Los Angeles residents when two children unearthed a 1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS buried in their front yard. What seemed like an urban legend turned out to be a bizarre case of insurance fraud gone wrong. This is the incredible story of how a stolen exotic car ended up beneath the soil of a quiet suburban home and how it became one of the most infamous Ferraris in history.
A Gift, A Theft, and a Heist Gone Wrong
The Ferrari Dino 246 GTS in question, chassis number 07862, was originally purchased in October 1974 by Rosendo Cruz, a plumber from Alhambra, California. The car was intended as a lavish gift for his wife, but after just 500 miles of driving, it vanished under suspicious circumstances.
On the night of the theft, Cruz and his wife were celebrating their anniversary at a restaurant. Cruz, wary of the valet’s keen interest in his prized possession, opted to park the car himself a few blocks away. When the couple returned from dinner, the Dino was gone.
A police report was promptly filed, and the insurance company paid out $22,500—the full value of the car. It seemed like just another high-end auto theft, a common occurrence in Los Angeles at the time. But nearly four years later, during an unusually wet winter in 1978, a shocking revelation emerged.
The Dino Resurfaces
Heavy rains in Los Angeles caused soil erosion in a residential neighborhood, leading two children playing in the yard of a home to stumble upon something strange—a metallic structure barely peeking through the dirt. As they dug further, they realized it was a car.
Authorities were called to the scene, and excavation efforts revealed a fully intact 1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS wrapped in plastic sheeting, blankets, and tarps. Astonishingly, the car appeared to have been carefully buried, with towels stuffed into the exhaust pipes to prevent damage from moisture and debris. Whoever had hidden it had no intention of destroying it.
A Case of Insurance Fraud
Initially, police believed this to be a simple stolen car case. However, deeper investigation revealed a far more sinister plot. It turned out that Cruz had orchestrated the theft himself, hiring a group of thieves to steal and hide the car. The plan was to claim the insurance money and later recover the vehicle.
Unfortunately for Cruz, the criminals he hired had other ideas. Instead of following through with the plan to retrieve and dispose of the car, they simply forgot where they had buried it. The Dino remained underground for years until fate—or a couple of curious kids—brought it back to light.
From Buried Treasure to Daily Driver
After the discovery, the Ferrari was declared property of the insurance company, which then auctioned it off. Enter Brad Howard, a car enthusiast who saw beyond its unusual history and recognized its potential. He purchased the Dino, had it fully restored by Ferrari expert Giuseppe Cappalonga, and turned it into his daily driver.
Despite reports that the car was in poor condition when unearthed, Howard insists that most of its original components, including the trim, chrome, and even the windows, were still intact. The windshield had been smashed—likely by the thieves—but the Dino’s resilience amazed experts. The arid conditions of the 1976-1978 drought may have helped preserve it, despite being underground for years.
Howard opted to retain as much of the original car as possible, even repainting it in its factory metallic green color. To commemorate its unusual past, he personalized its license plate to read: “DUG UP.”
A One-of-a-Kind Dino
Among Ferrari purists, the Dino has often been dismissed as a “glorified Fiat,” since it lacks the signature Ferrari V12 and carries the Dino badge instead of the Prancing Horse emblem. However, Brad Howard’s Dino is undoubtedly one of the most famous in the world. With the exception of ultra-rare concept models, few Dinos carry the kind of history that this car does.
Over the years, Howard has received numerous offers from collectors eager to own a car with such an unusual past. Yet, he has remained steadfast in his decision—his Dino is not for sale.
A Legend in the Automotive World
The tale of the buried Ferrari Dino 246 GTS has captivated car enthusiasts and crime aficionados alike. It remains one of the most bizarre cases of insurance fraud in automotive history, a cautionary tale of greed, bad planning, and unintended consequences. Today, this once-lost Dino continues to roam the streets, a rolling relic of a mystery that was nearly lost to time.