Ferrari

Ferrari 250 fetches more than $16 million in record sale

A 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sold for $14.9 million establishing the record for the most ever paid for a car at a public sale Saturday night at the Gooding & Co., auction in Monterey, California. With commissions and premiums, the total purchase price surpassed $16 million, far exceeding the $12.2 million (total) paid for another 1957 Testa Rossa in 2009 at a public auction in Italy. According to Gooding’s description of the Testa Rossa (chassis No. 0666 TR) it is not only the first 250 Testa Rossa built, but was also campaigned by Scuderia Ferrari when new. It was restored by Dennison International and took first in its class at the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. A 1936 Bugatti

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Monterey Auto Week: Concours on the Avenue back in style

The Concours on the Avenue was an ideal way to begin Monterey Auto Week. The nearly 200 showcased cars and trucks ranged from new and vintage Ferrari models to collectors’ Mercedes-Benz sedans and Porsche cabriolets. The free one-day show in Carmel, which returned Aug. 16 after a one-year hiatus, offered arguably the most varied selection of cars scheduled in the weeklong automotive celebration. There were myriad muscle cars, iconic Packard and Rolls Royce models and restored Volkswagen bugs to attainable Volvo coupes all presented on Ocean Ave., the quaint city’s main “thoroughfare,” as well as several side streets. Officially, the Concours on the Avenue, was scheduled from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. But two hours earlier, many vehicles were already

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Fifty Ferrari owners set for SF to LA charity great escape

It’s not often 50 Ferraris, new models to rare vintage offerings, are available for viewing in one location. But having same collection advance across the Golden Gate Bridge and caravan to Los Angeles is even more rare. But that’s exactly what the Ferrari Owner’s Group (FOG) has organized for charity. In conjunction with CarWoo.com., 50 iconic Ferrari models — the new 458 Italia, a F430 Scuderia, 599 GTB Fiorano, 512TR, 328 GTS and a classic 250 GT California Spider — among others, will depart Sept. 22 from Ferrari of San Francisco. The Ferrari group will progress along Highway 1 and arrive in Los Angeles for a Sept. 24 for a charity auction and banquet. All proceeds from the rally and its

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Legendary rare Hollywood Ferrari set for Monterey auction

RM Auctions, the collector car auction house, will return Aug. 19-12 to  Monterey, California, for its annual sale held during the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance weekend. This year’s sale will feature a vast selection of vehicles, including the matching-numbers, race-winning 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Scaglietti Spider, s/n 0492M. It had a starring role in the film On the Beach, featuring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner and Fred Astaire. The 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Scaglietti Spider, s/n 0492M will be among 20 Ferraris auctioned. The eighth of 35 built, 0492M began its career on the Ferrari stand at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1955. One of the first cars with the improved coil spring front suspension, it was delivered to importer

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Ferrari 458 Italia honored as Performance Car of the Year

The Ferrari 458 Italia, the replacement vehicle for the F430, has beaten out the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and Porrsche 911 Turbo, and named as the 2011 World Performance Car at the New York International Auto Show. The World Car Awards jurors said about the Ferrari: “The replacement for the F430 Fiorano has been voted by nearly every possible ranking this past year as the best performer hands down. The WCA’s would love to break ranks with the crowd, but we also put the 458 Italia squarely among our top three world performance cars. “Whether on the track or on a loosely policed winding two-lane mountain road, the technology on board the 458 sets it and its 570 metric horsepower far

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Ferrari, Nissan, BMW chosen on 2011 All-Ugly car list

It’s not often Ferrari and Mazda or Lotus and Nissan are featured in the same car discussion. But all of them, and several other surprising choices, have been selected on the list of the 10 ugliest cars of 2011. John Pearley Huffman, who writes the appropriately titled Taking Blame column for the Inside Line feature on Edmunds.com, has strong and clever opinions. And he has a good share of detractors because of his selections. Huffman believes the Ferrari California is a ugly as the Mazda3 sedan. And he lumps the Dodge Caliber with the BMW6 series. The trio of newfangled electric-gas hybrids, the Chevy Volt, Honda Insight and Toyota Prius are grouped in an all-ugly category Huffman describes as “one

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Ferrari formerly owned by Charlie Sheen 'winning' on eBay

Charlie Sheen apparently took better care of the Ferrari he once owned than he has other possessions in his volatile life of fame, fortune and misfortune. The controversial actor purchased new a 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello. But Sheen sold the car, according to Internet reports, to pay for his wedding to former wife Denise Richards. Now the current owner of the car has placed it for sale on eBay. Sheen’s former Ferrari, according to the eBay listing, has been driven 25,725 miles and features, among other options: leather seats, CD player, anti-lock brakes, driver airbag, passenger airbag, air conditioning, power lock, power windows and power seats. The images of the car portray it as in pristine condition. One images appears

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Rodeo Drive Concours honors Italy and its legendary cars

The Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance will celebrate “The Art of Italian Motoring” on June 19, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. The annual event will take place as the country of Italy marks the 150th anniversary of its unification. In celebration, Rodeo Drive will pay tribute to some of the most famous names in Italian design and lifestyle. “The annual Father’s Day event will highlight a WORLD CLASS combination of automobiles, motorcycles and designers featuring Italian makes and models,” said Bruce Meyer, event chairman. “We hope to curate the best selection of Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat, Lamborghini, Lancia and Maseratis from Southern California and the Western United States for this year’s tribute to Italy.” Legendary Italian motorcycles are also invited to

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Ferrari expert picks 15 most beautiful models in history

Marcel Massini is editor of two Ferrari magazines and is a renowned historian on the iconic Italian manufacturer. Correspondingly, the CNBC web site is fond of lists on all kinds of topics, including a topic presented to Massini — selecting the 15 most beautiful Ferrari models of all time. In no particular order, here’s the list. For each listing, Massini briefly describes the car, lists the number made and an estimated value. For one of the 15 Ferrari models on the list, Massini commented: “One-off for King Leopold of Belgium and has a huge motor. Estimated Value: $10 million. Units Built: 1.” The Top-15 Most Beautiful Ferrari in History: 375 Plus Cabriolet (1954) 275 GTB/4 Berlinetta (1967) 250 Testa Rossa

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Has famed digital artist created World's Ugliest Ferrari?

There’s no more iconic color in the automotive world than Ferrari Red. Yellow, blue, white or any other color Ferrari is perfectly fine, too. Unless, it’s a Ferrari 430 Scuderia and it’s been turned into a canvas for one of Laurence  Gartel’s wild creations. Gartel, known as the “Father of Digital Art,” has had his work exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, among other museums, in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History. But Gartel, who has created artwork for many musicians, including Debbie Harry (Blondie), Sid Vicious (Sex Pistols) Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, has taken the pure beauty of a Ferrari and turned it into a nightmare. The over-the-top video below is ripe

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Ferrari reveals new FF photos, video before Geneva debut

Arguably the most unique model Ferrari has ever made, the 2011 Ferrari FF, a hatchback four-wheel drive replacement for the 612 Scaglietti, is scheduled to debut at the Geneva Auto Show (March 3-13). The new Ferrari FF (Four seats and four-wheel driver) possesses a 6.2-leter V12 that makes 660 horsepower at 8,000 rpm and has 504 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm. Slighter longer and lighter than the 612 Scaglietti, Ferrari says the FF will accelerate from 0-62 mph in 3.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 208 mph. The four-wheel-drive system is called 4RM. Ferrari has released few details on the patented system, but the four-wheel drive hardware weighs 50 percent less than a conventional set‑up. According to

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Ferrari set to debut FF 4×4 at Geneva Motor Show

Ferrari likes to outdo itself and it appears it may have with the FF. It’s the Italian manufacturer’s first four-wheel drive vehicle and its fastest four-seat car ever. With its designation as Ferrari‘s inaugural four-wheel drive car, the FF (an acronym for Ferrari Four) has a top speed of 208 mph. Its 6.2-liter V12 powertrain can propel the FF from 0 to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds. The new FF is expected to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column

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Ferrari 288 GTO 1984-1985 car review

Casual observers might mistake the 1984-85 Ferrari 288 GTO for the 1975-89 Ferrari 308/328 that became nationally known in the popular 1980-88 “Magnum P.I.” television series. However, there’s a world of difference between the ferocious 288 GTO and nice-but-slower 1975-85 308 and near-identical 1986-89 328. The 288 GTO was simply the world’s fastest production car when it arrived. And no wonder. The mid-engine 288 GTO was built for the FISA’s new Group B race series, in which cars such as the super exotic, limited-production Porsche 959 and Jaguar XJ220 were qualified to compete. Cars weren’t eligible to race in the series unless they could be legally used on public roads, with such things as full instrumentation, lighting, decent ground clearance,

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Ferrari owned briefly by John Lennon set for Paris auction

A restored 1965 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Coupe, one of the least desirable models of famed Italian sports car but one briefly owned by former Beatle John Lennon, will be auctioned in February. The light-blue Ferrari is expected to attract a final bid of more than $200,000 in the Feb. 5 auction, according to Bonhams’ auction officials. The Ferrari 330, sometimes called the four-eye model, is not often considered a coveted model by collectors. The car was said to be Lennon’s first vehicle purchased after he passed his driving test in Britain. He purchased it at age 24 for 2000 pounds. Lennon was murdered in 1980. Restored closely to original specification, Bonhams said the exterior paint is a deeper hue

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Ferrari, Aston Martin, VW top NY Times' 2010 best cars

Ferrari, Aston Martin and the Volkswagen GTI top the New York Times automotive critics’ 2010 top-10 Cars of the Year list. Lawrence Ulrich, one several journalists who regularly report on the automotive industry for the newspaper, was direct in his top pick for the year, the Ferrari 458 Italia. “The world’s best sports car, a racing video game come to life in three gorgeous, thrilling dimensions. This is the car I would buy tomorrow if I inherited $250,000 today.” Jerry Garrett selected the Aston Martin Rapide: “The exquisitely executed Rapide is, like the sleek Jaguar XJ, a product of Ian Callum, designer extraordinaire. A sedan is a new offering for Aston, a tiny builder of British sports cars, as is

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Bugatti remains world's fastest production car for 2011

Forbes loves car lists, the most expensive to most economical and worst gas guzzlers to safest machines on the road There are exceptions, but Bugatti makes most lists, including fastest production car for 2011. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is the fastest production car in the world for 2011 just as it was for 2010 or at least at its quickest top speed for the last six months. Here’s Forbes description of the Veyron’s speed. “It’s worth repeating. The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is the fastest production car in the world — faster than an underwater torpedo or a bullet train. “Racer Pierre-Henri Raphanel proved it in July, when he pushed the speedometer of this third and final edition

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