A stolen Ferrari that sat at the bottom of the river IJ in Amsterdam for 26 years has been saved from the scrapyard.

The red Mondial, built in 1987, was discovered in June by divers training with the fire service near Javakade and recovered at the start of July. Enquiries by police uncovered that it had been reported missing in 1994.

Police said the vehicle was ‘totally rusted’ and would be sent for scrap, as the deadline to start a criminal investigation has passed. But after being inundated with enquiries from potential buyers, scrap dealer De Ooyevaar in Blokker said they were looking at other options.

Daar is-ie dan! De Ferrari uit 1987 die op 17 juni bij toeval door brandweerduikers tijdens een trainingsdag werd gevonden in het water van de Javakade, is op 9 juli aan het eind van de dag boven water gekomen. Forensische opsporing gaat nu verder met het voertuig aan de slag. pic.twitter.com/NH0nPm5l0i

— Politie Amsterdam eo (@Politie_Adam) July 9, 2020

Several museums have expressed an interest in buying the vehicle, as well as private buyers with ideas such as fashioning it into a dining table. Local artist Feike Otto van de Zee suggested buying it for the city and displaying it as an artwork, either on Java island or the north bank of the IJ.

Lowie Hoedt, who owns the garage with his father, said his favoured solution was to sell the car to Artis zoo, which recently renovated one of its aquariums in the style of an Amsterdam canal.

‘Usually these things come as a package and that’s the end of the story,’ Hoedt told AT5. ‘We’ve had cash offers for this car, but our wish is for Artis to have it.

‘The best outcome would be if it could be kept under water. After all, that’s where it’s been for the last 26 years.’