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Ferrari to launch new model every year, keep production limited

You've no doubt perused the big news coming out of Fiat-Chrysler's headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI today. But at the end of the brand discussions, Sergio Marchionne spoke briefly about an incredibly important, low-volume part of the Fiat-Chrysler empire: Ferrari.
"You do need one of these cars in your driveway," Marchionne joked. And while other brand heads today lined out detailed plans for future product, Sergio's words about Ferrari's next five years were very simple, and very vague.
Marchionne confirmed that Ferrari will launch a new car every year between now and 2018. The cars will have a four-year lifecycle, after which, "M" versions will be produced, with a separate four-year cadence. No specific models were mentioned during Marchionne's presentation.

US Customs takes break from crushing Skylines, returns stolen Ferrari [UPDATE]

Update: A spokesperson from US Customs and Border Protection told Autoblog more details about the case. The thieves "completely removed the '81 VIN, and changed it to the '82 VIN," the spokesperson said. "The true VIN was identified through secondary numbers." US Customs and Border Protection often gets a bad rap among auto enthusiasts for the agency's propensity to crush fun cars, including Minis, Land Rovers, and Skyline GT-Rs. However, the group also sometimes finds stolen classic vehicles just before they leave the country. For example, officers recently recovered a stolen Ferrari nearly 30 years after the owner reported it stolen. The 308 GTSi was on its way to Poland from the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport on April 8th, but the officers found something fishy. This Ferrari was supposed to be a 1982 308 GTS, but running a check indicated that the coupe with that VIN left the US for Norway in 2005. "This VIN discrepancy is what 'raised a red flag' and prompted further scrutiny," CBP LA/LB Seaport Port Director Carlos Martel said in a statement. The CBP contacted the California Highway Patrol and the National Insurance Crime Bureau. A Ferrari expert eventually identified the car as a 1981 308 GTSi. Once the authorities obtained the correct VIN, the system listed the Ferrari as stolen from a consignment lot in Orange County, CA, on July 19, 1987. Unfortunately, the original owner doesn't get to enjoy having the Ferrari back. The Prancing Horse now belongs to the insurance company because it paid off the claim on the car decades ago. It might be worth trying to buy the Ferrari again, though. The red 308 GTSi still looks like a beauty in CBP's photo, and coupe has only covered 45,000 miles since 1981. Stolen 28 Years Ago, CBP Seizes Classic Red Hot Ferrari Release Date: April 14, 2016 "Red Flag" Prompts FEAR Team Scrutiny LOS ANGELES — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Los Angeles/Long Beach (LA/LB) Seaport complex intercepted and seized a red 1981 Ferrari 308 GTSi, destined to Poland, on April 8. It was stolen 28 years ago, has 45K miles and an estimated value of $50K. red 1981 Ferrari 308 GTSi seized by CBP CBP officers at LA/LB seaport seized this 1981 Ferrari 308 GTSi, destined to Poland. It was stolen 28 years ago. Falsely manifested as a "1982 Ferrari", analysis of its purported vehicle identification number (VIN) revealed that the VIN was previously used for a 1982 Ferrari 308 GTS exported in 2005, from the U.S.

Hot Wheels loses Ferrari diecast contract to Chinese company

If you're anything like this writer, chances are you've got a diecast model or two kicking around the house. And if one of those models replicates a Ferrari, chances are it's made by Hot Wheels. The Mattel brand secured an exclusive contract from the Maranello automaker in the late 1990s, but the latest word from Hemmings has it that Ferrari has ended its partnership with Hot Wheels and awarded it instead to the May Cheong Group. Unless you're an avid diecast collector, you may not have heard of May Cheong, but you may have heard of its brands Maisto and Bburago. Both brands are longtime players in the model car market, but it's the Bburago part of the deal that's particularly interesting. Founded in Italy, Bburago made a name for itself largely due to the scale Ferrari models it made back in the day. But when the Prancing Horse marque awarded the exclusive contract to Mattel, and with increasing competition from the Far East, Bburago collapsed. May Cheong swept in and scooped it up, and now the Italian model brand, along with its onetime rival Maisto, will be producing diecast Ferraris once again. Whether Bburago will use any of its old tooling to resume production of Ferrari scale models or start from scratch with all-new equipment remains to be seen, as does the matter of whether either it or Maisto will be able to produce the same quality of models as Hot Wheels has with some of its higher-end offerings. Like most collectors, this writer's looking forward to finding out. Looks like it's time to buy another display case.