We all grow up digging around in sand boxes hoping to strike it rich and find some hidden ancient treasures. What we typically find is a rusty, old Matchbox car or a present left behind by a cat. Either way it’s very rare to find something desirable. Well, that’s not quite the case with a young group of boys in California. They were digging in their yard when they found something that would make anyone’s jaw drop and their mouth start drooling. In 1978, these kids were digging around in their yard when they came across something big, something metal, and something very, very valuable. A buried Ferrari!

The boys actually discovered a 1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS buried just a few feet underneath the dirt in their yard. The family had just moved into the house and immediately called authorities after the discovery. Authorities came and roped off the area for investigation. A team of investigators arrived and carefully unearthed the rare car.

After exhuming the Italian sports car, it was obvious that someone had planned on returning to retrieve the vehicle at some point in time. It was very crudely mummified with towels in the vents and tape on many of the seams however the windows weren’t fully closed causing a lot of interior damage.

Farmers Insurance was contacted and because of the VIN number they were able to trace the last owner. After the investigation, it turns out that the owner of the car had actually hired thieves to steal the car and dump it in the ocean so he could claim insurance on it. The thieves buried the car with the intention of returning to pick it up for themselves.

The buried Ferrari was then auctioned off after being on display with the incredible story being reported across the nation. It was purchased by a young mechanic who owned his own automotive shop in California. The going price was estimated to be between $5,000 and $9,000.

He fully restored the buried Ferrari and often enters the car into car shows. Here are the pictures of the car after the complete restoration.

Everything on the car has been restored to the exact factory condition. However, this car comes with some incredible history and an awesome story.

The car even has a vanity plate which reads “DUG UP”. How perfect is that?

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I’m amazed at the fact that two boys digging in their yard unearthed something this incredible. Talk about a dream come true. It’s a shame that they weren’t able to keep it. Finders keepers right? This is something they will be talking about for the rest of their lives. A story, a piece of history about a scandal, and a typical Hollywood drama unfolded and a mystery solved. I mean, It’s not every day you find a Ferrari Dino buried under your lawn.