Cursed car

The luxurious bright red convertible, which became a symbol of tragic historical events, had not only elegance but also a dark reputation. It was created specifically for Archduke Ferdinand and his wife, and its story began with the assassination in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, which sparked World War I. The vehicle, which brought death to its owners for years, claimed a total of sixteen lives, and its fate ended only during World War II, when it was destroyed by an Allied bomb in a museum. How did this unassuming machine influence the course of history?

It was a luxury car. But it caused the deaths of countless people before fate finally took its toll. The bright red six-seater convertible had covered less than 200 miles when it drove two members of the imperial family to their final death. It had actually been built specifically for the couple for their visit to the small Bosnian town of Sarajevo. The incident took place on June 28, 1914. The political situation in Europe threatened war at any moment. All that was missing was a spark. Archduke Ferdinand and his wife, the Duchess of Hohenburg, climbed into the magnificent vehicle to drive through the streets of Sarajevo. Why they didn't order the driver to turn around after a bomb was thrown at their car was never known. The bomb bounced off the door and rolled into the street. The explosion injured four members of the entourage riding on horseback behind the car. After making sure the wounded were receiving treatment, the Prince and his wife continued on their way.A second unexplained incident occurred. The driver, who knew Sarajevo intimately, took a wrong turn and drove into a dead-end street. A young man jumped out of the alleyway and, brandishing a pistol, threw himself onto the hood of the car, repeatedly shooting the Archduke and Duchess, who died before the stunned guards could wrestle the assassin to the ground.

The assassination attempt on the Crown Prince couple sparked World War I, which cost twenty million lives. After the assassination, the fateful red car continued to bring death to those who boarded it. A week after the outbreak of war, the distinguished commander of the Fifth Corps of the Austrian Army, General Potiorek, seized the governor's house in Sarajevo; he also took possession of the Archduke's red car. He did not wait long for the consequences. Twenty-one days later, he was defeated at Valievo, lost his command, and was sent back to Vienna. He soon became a ruined lunatic and died in an asylum.

The red car passed into the hands of another Austrian, a former subordinate of General Potiorek. The captain soon met his fate. Driving at high speed, he ran over and killed two Croatian peasants, crashed into a tree, and was dead by the time help arrived. He owned the car for nine days.

After the war ended, the newly appointed governor of Yugoslavia became the owner of the car. He restored it to excellent condition, but it had four accidents in four months, losing an arm in the last of them. He ordered the car destroyed; its reputation was so bad that it seemed no one would want to drive it. However, a buyer appeared, Dr. Srkis, who laughed at the curse. He bought the car for next to nothing. Unable to find a driver, he decided to drive it himself. He enjoyed his purchase for six months, becoming increasingly convinced that the curse upon the car was a figment of human imagination. One morning, the car was found lying on its roof, and the doctor's body, thrown outside, was mutilated by the overturned vehicle. The doctor's widow managed to sell the car to a wealthy jeweler. He used it for a year and then committed suicide. The next owner was a doctor again. However, his patients soon abandoned him, fearing the car would be ruined. So he sold it to a Swiss racing driver who used it in a race in the Dolomites, during which the car crashed into a stone wall and the driver was killed.The red car returned to Sarajevo. It was purchased by a wealthy farmer who had the car repaired and drove it safely for several months. One day, the car stalled on the road, so the farmer tied it to a wagon to tow it back to the city. No sooner had they started than the engine started, and the car knocked off the wagon and horses, ran over its owner, and rolled into a ditch on a curve. The dilapidated red vehicle was purchased by Tiber Hirszfeld, a mechanic, who repaired it and painted it blue. Unable to find a buyer, he drove it alone. One day, he was driving six friends to a wedding. While overtaking another car at high speed, he struck a tree; Hirszfeld and his four passengers died in the accident. The car was restored with government funds and sent to a museum.

It killed sixteen people. It contributed to the outbreak of a bloody war. It was only destroyed in the next war—an Allied bomb dropped on the museum building where it stood.