Britain’s only pink Ferrari – worth £120,000 – was sent ‘flying’ off the road and into bushes after it dramatically collided with another car at a junction.
But almost three years on from the crash, Barbie-obsessed owner Lisa-Marie Brown said she is hugely out of pocket after insurers refused to pay out.
The 45-year-old racer, who has starred in Channel 5‘s Rich House Poor House, claims she was left badly injured and had to stop working following the incident in Cardiff in August 2023.
However, Admiral Insurance said her car did not have a valid MOT at the time of the crash and confirmed the claim would not be paid.
Footage from the collision shows Ms Brown’s Ferrari travelling along the road ‘between 30mph to 40mph’ when a second car approaches from the opposite side.
As the lights turn to amber, Ms Brown continues straight on just as the other car enters a yellow box junction and attempts to turn right.
The supercar can then be seen pulling at speed to the left, off the road, and into nearby greenery, with onlookers rushing to gather around the car in the moments afterward.
Speaking to The Sun, the businesswoman – who has even dyed her hair pink – said: ‘It was the craziest thing that ever happened in my life.
‘I was knocked out for a few seconds and came round and I just thought “oh my god, what happened, don’t die”.’
She added: ‘My life has been on hold for the past three years, it’s been incredibly upsetting.’
Ms Brown said she was left with whiplash, adding she had ‘worked really hard’ to afford the car.
She fears that she will be left footing the bill to repair the car, although a local mechanic firm in Cardiff has stepped forward to help.
The supercar fan, who is friends with Katie Price, launched her pink Ferrari onto the streets of Cardiff amid much fanfare in 2019.
She told Daily Mail at the time: ‘People thought it was quite extravagant, but a lot of people liked the colour of the car and think it’s brilliant.
‘We thought it would be a quirky way to launch the car and to link it in training and upskilling young people.
‘I’d say around 70 per cent of people liked it, but 30 per cent were not too keen, but many women who said they liked it said they felt inspired.
‘I have always had a passion for cars and I have always enjoyed driving fast cars so being able to custom-make and design them is something I enjoy doing and to have the opportunity to work on a Ferrari is amazing.’
As the founder and managing director of Abercynon-based business Pinkspiration, Ms Brown has run a number of projects to mentor and train women to get involved in business. She also runs a valet service and coffee shop.
Ms Brown previously had her own television show, Superstars and Supercars, which aired on Cardiff TV and provided advice on starting a business while also showcasing stylish cars.
A spokeswoman for Admiral said: ‘Rejecting a claim is not a decision we take lightly, however the reason we have declined Ms Brown’s claim is because her car had failed an MOT and was not roadworthy on 8th August 2023, when the collision occurred.
‘The car failed an MOT test on 3rd August 2023 as it didn’t meet the required safety standard due to a major defect of fluid leaking in the rear shock absorber. This was required to be repaired immediately, but was not.
‘Due to the issues with the MOT, we instructed an independent assessor to inspect the car. They reported that Ms Brown would have been made aware of this defect, but the defect had not been rectified.
‘Ms Brown continued to use the car, covering 128 miles in the five days following the failed MOT.
‘At the time of the collision, the car was not being used to drive to an MOT centre for a retest or for repairs.
‘Ms Brown has advised in a signed statement that she was travelling to her mother’s house when the collision happened.
‘It is a fundamental requirement to make sure that a vehicle has a current MOT certificate and is roadworthy. Not doing so is dangerous and could put the driver and other road users at risk.
‘As the vehicle was not legal for road use due to the major defect found in the MOT inspection five days prior to the collision, we are unable to pay Ms Brown’s claim.
‘Following our rejection of her claim and as was her right, Ms Brown referred her claim for review to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) – an independent adjudicator that settles complaints between consumers and financial companies.
‘FOS has responded to this, and her five complaint points have not been upheld. FOS has agreed in our decision to reject her claim.
‘Admiral has refused indemnity for the reasons given above, so irrespective of the liability position regarding who was at fault for the accident, Admiral will not be paying Ms Brown’s claim.’
Daily Mail has contacted Admiral for comment.
