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A cargo ship carrying nearly 4,000 Volkswagen Group vehicles caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean.

Published:2026-10-21 02:35
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Bloomberg reported on February 18 that an internal email from Volkswagen Group's U.S. operations revealed that on the afternoon of February 16, the large Panama-flagged cargo vessel Felicity Ace, carrying 3,965 Volkswagen Group vehicles, caught fire near the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean. The email stated that all vehicles were towed away when the ship was engulfed in flames, with over 100 cars bound for the Port of Houston, Texas, including GTI, Golf R, and ID.4 models considered at risk.

According to reports, the cargo ship named "Felicity Ace" had all 22 crew members rescued. Photos provided by the Portuguese Navy showed thick smoke billowing from the scene.The "Felicity Ace," built in 2005 with a deadweight tonnage of 18,700 tons, flies the Panama flag and is operated by Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.
The vessel departed from Emden, Germany on the 10th and was originally scheduled to arrive in Davisville, Rhode Island, USA on the 23rd. On the morning of the 16th, the "Felicity Ace" reported a fire on one of its cargo decks and sent a distress signal about 90 nautical miles southwest of the Azores. With assistance from the Portuguese Navy, all 22 crew members were successfully evacuated.
Reports indicate the cargo ship is still smoking, unmanned, and adrift. The Portuguese Navy stated it would remain on-site to monitor the situation, with no pollution reported so far. The Associated Press noted that the shipowner hopes to tow the "Felicity Ace" into a nearby port, but Portuguese authorities said the Azores' ports are too small to accommodate the giant vessel.

An internal email from Volkswagen Group's U.S. operations revealed that the "Felicity Ace" was carrying 3,965 vehicles from Volkswagen Group brands, including 1,100 Porsches and 189 Bentleys, along with a small number of Lamborghini sports cars. According to estimates by the U.S. website Drive, the value of the Bentleys alone on board exceeds $30 million.

Porsche spokesperson Luke Vandezande said it is estimated that around 1,100 vehicles were on board when the fire broke out. A spokesperson for Lamborghini's U.S. division declined to comment on the number of cars on the ship or which models were affected, but stated they are in contact with the transport company.

This is not the first time Volkswagen has experienced a maritime transport accident. In 2019, the Grande America caught fire, resulting in the sinking of over 2,000 luxury cars, including Audis and Porsches.