China owner smashes up his Maserati in service protest

BEIJING (AFP) - A wealthy Chinese Maserati owner hired four sledgehammer-wielding men to smash up his US$420,000 (S$522,400) supercar in protest at poor customer service, reports said on Wednesday.

The car owner, identified only by his surname Wang, had the group attack the Maserati Quattroporte at the opening of an auto 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.

Mr Wang bought the luxury car in 2011 for 2.6 million yuan, the report said - around 100 times the average income of Chinese urban residents last year.