2015 Ferrari 458 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Miami Vice Ferrari Testarossa headed to auction

Push up the sleeves on your suit jacket, get your favorite pastel T-shirt out of the closet and put on those Wayfarers for a trip to Monterey Car Week on the California coast. One of the 1986 Ferrari Testarossa hero cars from the hit '80s show Miami Vice is heading across the auction block there on Aug. 15. Even if you have no interest looking like Sonny Crockett, this is still a beautiful Prancing Horse. The story behind the Ferraris on Miami Vice is just as entertaining as the show. For the first two seasons, Don Johnson's Sonny Crockett drove a black Daytona Spyder, but in reality it was a C3 Corvette underneath. Ferrari reportedly threatened to sue the replica maker, and a compromise was worked out to cease production in exchange for two Testarossas. Originally black, they were repainted in white to pop better in night scenes. Mecum's example is part of that duo. Beyond the TV connection, this Testarossa is one of the early examples with the side mirror on a stalk that's perched high on the A-pillar. It still packs a 4.9-liter, 390-horsepower flat-12 engine paired with a five-speed, gated manual gearbox with a recent $8,000-engine-out service. Inside, there's cream leather and even a car phone that's period correct. This example is quoted with just 16,124 miles and authentication by Ferrari North America and Ferrari Classiche. Late last year, another white Testarossa showed up on eBay claiming to be one of the Miami Vice hero cars. The seller was asking for a $1.75-million Buy-It-Now for that one. It will be interesting to see how Mecum's Ferrari performs on the auction block in Monterey. "MIAMI VICE" HERO CAR SPEEDS INTO MECUM AUCTIONS MONTEREY 2015 Iconic 1986 Ferrari Testarossa to be offered at The Mecum Daytime Auction Aug. 15 WALWORTH, Wis. – July 7, 2015 – The star of the '80s-era television series "Miami Vice" is coming to the Mecum Daytime Auction in Monterey this Aug. 13-15. No, not Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs—the flashy detectives played by Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas who fought episode-after-episode against the seedy underworld of Miami—but their 1986 Ferrari Testarossa. This iconic supercar with its signature side strakes was one of the quintessential poster cars that found itself plastered on many a teenager's bedroom wall in the 1980s, and it will now be offered for sale at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa – Del Monte Golf Course this Aug. 15.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider tops Gooding's Saturday auction at $15.18 million

During the weekend's automotive smorgasbord in Pebble Beach, Ferrari has played a huge roll. Twenty examples of the ultra-rare 250 TR, better known as the Testa Rossa, were prominently on display at the Concours d'Elegance, and the Prancing Horses have been top sellers at many of the auctions. You can chalk up one more on that list with a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider with a scarce, optional hardtop included going for $15.18 million at Gooding & Company's sale on Saturday night. Ferris Bueller would find it so choice.
In all, the auction house brought in about $60.4 million during the night, and 17 of the cars on the block sold for over $1 million. None of the other cars on Saturday managed quite the stratospheric highs of the California, though. A 1955 Aston Martin DB3S was the second-highest seller at $5.5 million. The next four top vehicles were all Ferraris with final prices ranging between $2.09 million and $2.365 million. Clearly, investors are in love with the Prancing Horse these days.
Check out our gallery, and scroll down to read the auction house's announcement of its top Saturday results.

Ferrari celebrates Singapore's independence with special F12

Singapore is marking 50 years of independence this year, and Ferrari is celebrating the occasion with a one-off F12 Berlinetta. The SG50 edition was ordered from the Tailor Made program by Ital Auto, the official Ferrari importer for the Southeast Asian metropolis. The model is distinguished by a special red and white livery that mirrors the colors of the Scuderia and the country's flag. The bodywork is done up in a custom shade of metallic red called (appropriately enough) Rosso Singapore. It's offset by Bianco Italia racing stripes, wheels, wing mirrors, and aero appendages, including the front spoiler, side sills, and rear diffuser. The treatment continues inside the two-seat cockpit with a mix of black leather and technical fabrics, offset by red and white accents and a Singaporean lion emblem on the headrests. The words "Singapore 50th Anniversary Edition 1/1" adorn the sill plate and lower rim of the steering wheel. Of course most of us will never see this particular F12 up close. But until Maranello takes the wraps off the anticipated enhancements for the Berlinetta, this gives us an idea of the possibilities available to buyers of the 12-cylinder super-GT. Related Video: