The million-dollar car crash
A crash near the casino in Monaco involved not one but a total of 5 extremely high-priced cars. The estimated repair bill seems low, considering.
A five-car pileup with no injuries is a snooze -- unless a Bentley Azure hits four other extremely expensive luxury cars outside the casino in Monaco. That's worldwide news.
A blue Azure (Bentley's "flagship convertible" with an MSRP of $363,000 for a new model) crunched the side of a white Mercedes S-Class (starting at $93,000), then struck a black Ferrari F430 ($230,000). Then an Aston Martin Rapide ($210,000) and a Porsche 911 Carrera (starting at $77,800) were also damaged, according to published reports.
"It appears the woman clipped the Mercedes S-Class first before ploughing into the other cars," The Monaco Times reports.
It happened in a roundabout in Monte Carlo, which is in the wealthy principality of Monaco, putting on quite a show for the multitude of tourists. (Some of the best photos can be found here.)
"Her gaffe in front of Monaco's swanky Place du Casino has become an overnight news sensation, with many labeling it the world's most expensive accident," wrote AsiaOne in Singapore.
Jack Bellamy wrote in England's Daily Star, "This was the moment a dippy blonde caused the world's most expensive shunt when she pranged five luxury motors." (Shunt? Pranged? Speak English, man!) Post continues after video.
It is estimated the crash will cost more than £40,000 (about $65,700) with the Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin requiring new front wings and bumpers. The Bentley will need the same repairs, plus a new door.
Some unoriginal thinkers felt compelled to point out that the driver is a blonde. In fact, the Daily Mail called her a "hapless blonde."
What could such a crash do to a Bentley owner's insurance rates?
According to MSN Money's insurance rate finder, the yearly premium for Porsche 911s is about $2,300 to $3,100. The Bentley is not listed there. Nor does it appear at Edmunds.com's True Cost to Own search tool. Car insurance companies won't give you a quote unless you own one (I don't), but several discussion forums mentioned a monthly cost of $500 to $600.
Of course, a lot depends on your driving record, including whether you've caused any accidents.
More on MSN Money:
RELATED ARTICLES
DATA PROVIDERS
Copyright © 2013 Microsoft. All rights reserved.
Quotes are real-time for NASDAQ, NYSE and AMEX. See delay times for other exchanges.
Fundamental company data and historical chart data provided by Thomson Reuters (click for restrictions). Real-time quotes provided by BATS Exchange. Real-time index quotes and delayed quotes supplied by Interactive Data Real-Time Services. Fund summary, fund performance and dividend data provided by Morningstar Inc. Analyst recommendations provided by Zacks Investment Research. StockScouter data provided by Verus Analytics. IPO data provided by Hoover's Inc. Index membership data provided by SIX Financial Information.
Japanese stock price data provided by Nomura Research Institute Ltd.; quotes delayed 20 minutes. Canadian fund data provided by CANNEX Financial Exchanges Ltd.
ABOUT SMART SPENDING
Smart Spending brings you the best money-saving tips from MSN Money and the rest of the Web. Join the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Editor Bev O'Shea lives and works in the foothills of the Appalachians. A former copy editor for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Orlando Sentinel, she joined MSN Money in 2007. She's a fan of sunsets, college football and free shipping, among other things.
Having worked as a writer, reporter and editor for more than 25 years, Editor Julie Tilsner is the sort of person who can't help but correct grammar in Facebook postings and on billboards. She's written for BusinessWeek, the Los Angeles Times, Parenting, Redbook, AOL and others. She lives in Los Angeles County with her family and loves to drink wine and practice yoga, although not generally at the same time.
A writer for MSN Money since January 2007, Donna Freedman won regional and national prizes during an 18-year newspaper career and earned a college degree in midlife without taking out student loans. She also writes about smart money tactics for magazines and on her own site, Surviving and Thriving.
Mitch Lipka has been warning people about scams and shining light on questionable business practices for more than 20 years. Mitch, the consumer columnist for The Boston Globe, has also been a reporter and editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer, Consumer Reports, South Florida Sun-Sentinel and AOL. He won the 2010 New York Press Club award for best consumer reporting online and was honored in 2011 for his reporting on child product safety.
Marilyn Lewis is an award-winning writer with a passion for getting readers clear, straight information that helps them stay out of financial trouble. A former reporter for The San Jose Mercury News, she works from her home in Port Townsend, Wash. Contact her at MarilynLewis@Outlook.com.
LATEST BLOG POSTS
Children from lower income families are at greater risk of suffering accidental injuries and being sickened by food, according to a Consumer Federation of America study.
VIDEO ON MSN MONEY
TOOLS
Best rates on savingsFind the highest rates on savings accounts, CDs and money market accounts.
- Are you saving enough for retirement?
- Find a great credit card
- Car insurance premiums by model
