1,000 Porsches are burning aboard this abandoned cargo ship

A massive, abandoned cargo ship is burning in the Atlantic with 3,965 Volkswagen Group vehicles on board, about a quarter of them from Porsche, according to Bloomberg. Porsche estimates that 1,100 of its vehicles are on board the Felicity Ace, a cargo ship about the size of three football fields. Volkswagen Group is home to brands like Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, and VW.

The Felicity Ace was heading from Germany to a port in Rhode Island when it issued distress signals Wednesday morning, reporting a fire in one of its cargo decks. All 22 crew members were successfully evacuated and did not need medical attention, according to a statement by the Portuguese Navy. The owner of the vessel is now developing a plan to recover the abandoned ship.

Photo: Portuguese Navy

The incident is a troubling development for the Volkswagen Group, in an industry already plagued by supply issues resulting from pandemic-related staff and chip shortages.