NORTH KINGSTOWN — The nearly 1,600 cars bound for the Port of Davisville that sank with the Felicity Ace cargo ship likely won’t phase the large auto importer, but may cause issues for local dealerships.
The Felicity Ace cargo ship, which caught fire in the mid-Atlantic near the Azores Islands in mid-February, carried a total of nearly 4,000 high-end cars from makers such as Volkswagen and Audi. The Portuguese navy safely evacuated all 22 crew members aboard the ship, which sank a few weeks later after unsuccessful attempts to tow it back to land.
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Though 1,582 cars aboard the ship were heading to the Port of Davisville, where North Atlantic Distribution receives and processes vehicles, they represent a relatively small portion of overall imports: in December, 21,000 cars arrived at Davisville via ships, rail and trucks, said spokesperson David Preston.
But for dealerships and their customers, the lost cargo could have a harsher impact.
Ernie Boch Jr., who owns several car dealerships in Massachusetts, including two in North Attelboro, told WCVB-TV that the loss of cargo could have a “devastating” effect on the industry.
“They were all sold, by the way, because right now, cars are so in-demand that when they’ve manufactured and they come off the line, they’re sold,” Boch said.
It is not clear how many of the cars that were supposed to arrive at the Port of Davisville were bound for Rhode Island dealerships.
Volkswagen spokesperson Cameron Batten said that damage to the vehicles is covered by insurance, and “brands are working with their dealers and customers to replace these vehicles and find individual solutions.
“Many of the vehicles aboard the vessel had customer reservations,” Batten added, and “Brands are actively replacing these reservations by redirecting existing inventory and through new production orders that will be prioritized.”
Local Volkswagen dealers could not be reached for comment.
Matthew Martyn, director of business development at NORAD, said he is “relieved to know that the crew got off safely, and confident that, like most material goods that are lost, the volume that was bound for us can and will be replaced in due time.”
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.
