A wealthy Chinese Maserati owner hired four sledgehammer-wielding men to smash up his luxury sedan in protest at poor customer service, according to reports.
The car owner, identified only by his surname Wang, had the group attack the Maserati Quattroporte at the opening of a motor show in the eastern city of Qingdao, in Shandong province, the Qingdao Morning Post said.
Video images showed the men going about their task with gusto, leaving the vehicle with a shattered windscreen and mirrors, the grille broken and dents to the bodywork, draped in a banner accusing the Italian manufacturer of poor decision-making.
Wang bought the car in 2011 and problems first arose when he took it back to the dealer for an unspecified repair, with staff charging him for new spare parts despite using used ones, the paper quoted Wang as saying. It later failed to fix a problem with a door and scratched the vehicle, he added.
“I hope foreign luxury car producers acknowledge clearly that Chinese consumers are entitled to get the service that is commensurate with the brand,” Wang said.
China is a key market for luxury brands, with the country's growing ranks of mega-rich splashing out on fancy cars to show off their wealth.
But buyers enraged by bad service have carried out similar actions previously.
In 2011, a businessman also in Qingdao reportedly destroyed a three million yuan Lamborghini after failing to get problems with the engine and other car parts repaired properly. -Sapa-AFP