Despite firefighting efforts by tugboats and rescue crews, the fire raged uncontrollably. After the crew abandoned ship, all 27 people on board were rescued safely by the British Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll. The ship sank two days later in deep waters about 140 miles southwest of Brest, sinking to a depth of approximately 4,600 meters.
Among the lost cargo were 37 Porsche vehicles, including four rare last-production Porsche 911 GT2 RS models, which Porsche later reactivated production to replace for their Brazilian customers. The ship also carried dozens of Audi RS4 and RS5 cars, further highlighting the value of the cargo lost to the sea.
The sinking triggered a significant oil spill around 10 kilometers long, threatening the French coastline near La Rochelle, Biarritz, and Vendée. French authorities coordinated extensive rescue, containment, and pollution control operations to manage the environmental impact.
Underwater exploration of the wreck by remotely operated vehicles revealed the ship resting largely intact on the seabed but leaking light amounts of oil from fuel tanks. The incident remains a stark reminder of the risks inherent in maritime transport—especially when carrying hazardous cargo and luxury goods on the open ocean.
The blaze and sinking of the MV Grande America turned a high-value car shipment into a maritime disaster, one that forced coordinated emergency response efforts and left a lasting footprint on the Bay of Biscay.