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Rebels storming Assad’s palace find luxury car collection including rare Ferrari ‘worth £3m’
A rare Ferrari F50, a Lamborghini Diablo and a Rolls-Royce are among dozens of luxury cars found at Bashar al Assad’s palace.
Just 349 F50s were made between 1995 and 1997 and the V12-engined car has a top speed of 233mph.
It originally sold for about £350,000, but one went for $5.5m (£4.3m) in a Sotheby’s auction earlier this year.
Car website classic.com puts the average sale price at $4.2m (£3.3m).
Also parked up in the vast garage in the Syrian capital of Damascus was another classic 90s supercar that adorned many teenage walls – a Lamborghini Diablo.
While not as rare as the F50, the best examples can go for well over £300,000 today.
A Lamborghini Diablo was also among the dictator’s cars
The fleet of cars was discovered in the presidential palace as dictator Assad fled for Russia following rebels’ takeover of the country.
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A more common Ferrari F430 Spider is also seen parked next to the F-50; with the video also appearing to show a Rolls-Royce Ghost, Bentley Continental GT, Aston Martin Rapide, Audi R8, and a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG with gull-wing doors.
Quad bikes, SUVs, several vans, and multiple Audi, Mercedes and BMW saloons also feature.
A Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG was part of the supercar haul
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It is not known if they were all for Assad‘s personal use – given the large number of vehicles, some may have been used by his staff.
It is also unclear what will happen to them now.
Members of the public were among those using their new-found freedom to explore the opulent residence of the deposed president over the weekend.
People roamed the vast rooms and corridors of the presidential palace, making off with mementoes and taking selfies of a moment that was unthinkable just days ago.