Footage shows how an ancient 400-year-old tree left in the middle of the road survived being hit by an expensive Maserati that burnt to a crisp.

The tree, reportedly a camphor tree, had been left where it was, with the road through the village of Guabang, in Jiangxi Province, China, built around it because of its great age.

But that was a problem for the Maserati driver who hit it in the early hours of the morning on August 4.

Local media reported that the upper part of the tree was left partially burnt.

Video footage shows the Maserati burning profusely after hitting the tree, with aftermath footage also showing the remains of the vehicle after it burnt to a crisp.

Local media reported that the owner of the car, who has not been named, was rescued by villagers and was not seriously injured even though the car was a write-off.

He was taken to hospital but there have been no further updates on his condition.

The authorities said that they had contacted a specialised company to help the ancient tree recover as quickly as possible.