Supercars Stuck at Lamu
Dozens of high‑end cars were offloaded at Lamu Port amid Strait of Hormuz blockade fallout — that manifest included a Porsche 911 Turbo S listed at Sh18.1 million (≈$140K). ( ) The same shipments reportedly contained Lamborghini’s first V12 hybrid supercar (claimed 1,000 hp), Ferrari SF90s, Maseratis and a Bugatti Tourbillon prototype. ( )
The Grimaldi Line pure‑car carrier MV Grande Florida Palermo docked at Lamu on March 18 and offloaded about 3,800 vehicles that had sailed from Yokohama and were originally bound for Dubai’s Jebel Ali port. (Reuters: NTV Kenya: ) Lamu had already taken a separate diverted shipment on March 10 when the MV Grande Auckland made a maiden call and discharged 469 vehicles, bringing the number of cars on hand at the port to more than 4,200. (Capital FM: The Kenya Times: ) Port management says the diverted consignments are being stored in Lamu’s warehouses while shipping lines seek onward options, and the Grimaldi vessel arrived at well under its 9,000‑unit capacity. (Baraka FM: The Coast: ) Kenya Ports Authority records show Lamu’s Kililana terminal currently has operational deep‑water berths and an annual capacity listed at about 1.2 million TEUs, and officials including LAPSSET and the KPA say they are fielding multiple inquiries from shipping agents about additional diversions. (Kenya Ports Authority: LAPSSET/KPA statements reported: ) Local managers warned ships remaining en route to the Gulf are “drifting” or burning extra fuel while seeking safe ports, and Lamu officials said another car carrier with roughly 5,000 vehicles was expected to ask to dock in the coming week. (KahawaTungu: Oman Observer: ) Several luxury marques have then paused Middle East deliveries—Ferrari and Maserati announced temporary suspensions of shipments to the region while managing a small number of air‑freighted exceptions—moves flagged by Bloomberg and Reuters as affecting supply lines for Gulf customers. (Bloomberg: Reuters coverage aggregated: )
