Met Police Seize £3.7m Ferrari Monza SP2 — London 2026

Key Points

• The Metropolitan Police seized 90 vehicles worth more than £8 million during a three-day operation in central London.
• The vehicles were targeted as part of enforcement action against uninsured, dangerous and anti-social driving.
• One of the seized cars was a Ferrari Monza SP2, a limited-edition model reportedly worth £3.7 million.
• The Ferrari is one of only 499 examples produced by the Italian manufacturer.
• A motorist was stopped after allegedly driving without insurance and not in accordance with a provisional driving licence.
• Video footage showed a Metropolitan Police officer wearing sunglasses while driving the Ferrari through Mayfair with a police convoy.
• The operation involved 120 officers, including members of the Met’s Special Constabulary and Vehicle Enforcement Team.
• Fifteen vehicles were seized under new powers allowing police to take action against cars involved in anti-social behaviour.
• The operation took place across Hyde Park, Kensington and Chelsea between Friday 7 August and Sunday 9 August 2026.
• Police said the action was the largest seizure operation of its kind in the five-year history of the initiative.

West London (West London News) August 10, 2026: A Metropolitan Police officer was filmed driving a rare Ferrari Monza SP2 through Mayfair after the £3.7 million vehicle was seized during a crackdown on uninsured, dangerous and anti-social driving in central London.

The officer, wearing sunglasses, was shown behind the wheel of the open-top Ferrari while travelling with a police convoy. The footage attracted attention online, with social media users describing the moment as an unusual experience for a police officer and joking that it could have been the “best day” of his career.

The Ferrari was among 90 vehicles seized by the Metropolitan Police during an operation conducted between 7 August and 9 August across Hyde Park, Kensington and Chelsea. According to the Met, the vehicles had a combined value of more than £8 million.

Why was the Ferrari seized by police?

The Metropolitan Police said the Ferrari Monza SP2 was seized because it was being driven without insurance and not in accordance with the driver’s licence. The force said the vehicle had been in the United Kingdom for only one day when officers stopped it.

The motorist was reported to have held only a provisional driving licence. The Met said the driver had been in the Ferrari for less than half an hour when officers intervened.

The exact circumstances surrounding the driver’s use of the vehicle have not been independently detailed beyond the police account. However, the force said its weekend operation focused on vehicles being driven without insurance, as well as dangerous or anti-social behaviour on London’s roads.

The seizure was also reported in coverage by the Evening Standard, which said the Ferrari was understood to have been taken from a “supercar meetup” at Wellington Arch, close to Hyde Park Corner. The newspaper reported that the Metropolitan Police had been approached for comment about the specific Ferrari.

Under UK road traffic rules, vehicles can be seized when officers have reasonable grounds to believe they are being driven without insurance or outside the conditions of the driver’s licence. In this case, the Met said both issues were relevant to the seizure.

How valuable is the Ferrari Monza SP2?

The Ferrari Monza SP2 is an exceptionally rare model, with only 499 examples produced by Ferrari in 2018. The two-seat, open-top car was part of Ferrari’s limited-edition Monza series and was originally sold for slightly more than $1 million, according to reports cited by the Evening Standard.

Its value has increased in the collector’s market. The Metropolitan Police said a model was sold at auction earlier this year for $4,995,000, equivalent to about £3.7 million. The Evening Standard also reported a sale at approximately $5 million.

The Daily Telegraph reported the value as £3.2 million, while the official Metropolitan Police statement and other reports placed the figure at £3.7 million. The difference may reflect differing valuations, exchange-rate calculations or the price of a particular auction sale.

The car’s open-top design and limited production run have made it a collector’s vehicle rather than a commonly seen road car. Its appearance on London streets, followed by footage of a police officer driving it, therefore drew significant interest from passers-by and social media users.

The police convoy accompanying the vehicle indicated that it was being moved under official supervision after being seized. Available reports do not state that the officer was using the Ferrari for routine patrol duties.

What happened during the London operation?

The Metropolitan Police said 90 vehicles were seized during the weekend operation, making it the highest number and value of vehicles taken in the five-year history of the initiative. The operation involved 120 officers, including 95 officers from the Met’s Special Constabulary and Vehicle Enforcement Team.

The force was supported by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, which provided expertise relating to uninsured driving and roadside checks. Officers used the bureau’s Navigate insurance database to help identify and confirm whether vehicles had valid insurance cover.

The operation covered areas including Hyde Park, Kensington and Chelsea. These locations include busy roads and popular central London destinations where residents, businesses and visitors have previously raised concerns about loud, fast or disruptive driving.

The Metropolitan Police said 15 vehicles were seized using new policing powers that allow officers to confiscate vehicles involved in anti-social behaviour instead of issuing only a warning. The force said the powers were intended to allow faster intervention where drivers were causing alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public.

The operation also resulted in arrests connected with offences discovered during vehicle stops. According to the Met, one man was found with 19 bank cards in other people’s names and more than £2,500 in cash. He was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and money laundering.

Another man was stopped for driving without insurance and was found with £5,500 in cash. Police said he was arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A, B and C drugs with intent to supply.

The force also reported an arrest involving words and behaviour that were likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. A further man was arrested on suspicion of an immigration offence.

The police said the operation was not limited to high-value vehicles. The central focus was whether drivers were complying with insurance, licensing and wider road safety requirements.

What did the police say about the crackdown?

Special Chief Inspector Geoff Tatman, who led the operation, said the force regularly received complaints from local people about dangerous driving and vehicle modifications that created a nuisance for residents.

As reported in the Metropolitan Police press release, he said officers were arresting drivers and seizing cars to keep roads safe and to send a message that reckless and dangerous driving would not be tolerated. His comments referred to the wider operation and were not presented as a separate statement specifically about the Ferrari.

Angus Eaton, chief executive of the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, said the rules applied to all motorists regardless of the value of the vehicle they drove. He added that some motorists knowingly breached the law, while others could make genuine mistakes about their insurance cover.

Eaton urged drivers to check that their policies covered the correct vehicle, journey and type of driving. The bureau has warned that having an insurance policy does not always mean a driver has the correct cover for a particular vehicle or use.

Caroline Sargent, deputy leader and cabinet member for enforcement at Westminster City Council, said people who drove illegally in Westminster were not welcome. She said reckless driving and so-called “boy racer” behaviour could put people at risk and cause disruption for residents and businesses.

Sargent also referred to the council’s partnership with the Metropolitan Police and a recent High Court injunction. She said drivers who broke the rules risked losing their licence or facing more serious consequences.

How did people react to the police Ferrari footage?

Footage of the officer driving the Ferrari circulated on social media after the vehicle was seized. The Evening Standard reported that viewers joked about the officer wearing sunglasses and appeared amused by the sight of the rare car being driven with a police escort.

The Daily Telegraph reported similar reactions from social media users. One person described the moment as the “pinnacle” of the officer’s career, while another called it the “best day at work ever”. A further comment suggested that it might be the only occasion when a seized car was driven to a depot instead of being transported by a recovery vehicle.

The comments were reactions to the video rather than statements from the Metropolitan Police. The reports did not suggest that the officer had personally benefited from the vehicle or that the Ferrari had been released for private use.

The footage showed the car being driven through Mayfair, but publicly available reports do not establish the officer’s identity. They also do not state whether the officer was a regular constable or a special constable, although the Met operation included members of its Special Constabulary.

Has the Met seized supercars in previous operations?

The latest operation follows earlier Metropolitan Police enforcement activity involving high-value vehicles in central and west London.

The Evening Standard reported that officers seized about 70 supercars worth approximately £7 million during a weekend operation the previous year. The vehicles included Ferraris, Porsches and two purple Lamborghinis.

The Metropolitan Police’s current statement gives a figure of 72 vehicles seized during last year’s operation. It said the vehicles were taken for offences including driving without insurance, driving without a licence and anti-social driving. Two stolen vehicles were recovered, and eight people were arrested for offences including actual bodily harm, theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.

The latest operation therefore represents an increase in both the number of vehicles seized and their combined reported value. Police said the 90 vehicles taken between 7 August and 9 August were worth more than £8 million.

What is the background to the development?

The crackdown is part of a continuing Metropolitan Police response to complaints about anti-social driving in central London. Police activity in areas such as Hyde Park, Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster has included checks on insurance, licences, vehicle condition, number plates and driving behaviour.

The operation also reflects the use of new powers allowing vehicles involved in anti-social behaviour to be seized more quickly. The Met said 15 cars were taken under this legislation during the latest weekend of enforcement.

Previous operations have found a mixture of motoring and criminal offences. The force has reported uninsured driving, invalid or absent licences, false documents, stolen vehicles, illegal number plates, dangerous driving and drug-related offences during earlier enforcement campaigns.

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau has supported the Met by helping officers identify uninsured vehicles. Police have also highlighted insurance mistakes involving the wrong registration number, the wrong vehicle or policies that do not cover driving in the UK.

The seizure of the Ferrari Monza SP2 is significant because of the vehicle’s reported market value and rarity, but the police said the legal basis for the intervention was connected to insurance and licensing compliance rather than the car’s price.

How could this development affect supercar owners and London motorists?

The operation is likely to remind supercar owners and other motorists that expensive vehicles are subject to the same insurance and licensing requirements as ordinary cars. Drivers visiting the UK from overseas may face particular scrutiny if they do not have insurance that explicitly covers the vehicle and the type of driving they are undertaking.

Owners whose vehicles are seized generally need to provide the required documents, including valid insurance and evidence connected with ownership or registration, before the vehicle can be released. They may also have to pay recovery or storage charges, depending on the circumstances of the seizure.

For residents and businesses in affected parts of London, the operation could mean a visible increase in enforcement against loud, dangerous or disruptive driving. However, the available reports do not establish how long the enforcement campaign will continue or whether the number of complaints will fall as a result.