At the recent Bonhams Amelia Island Auction in Florida, this movie replica was sold for $313,000. The car was one of four built by a California-based company for the classic 80s film Ferris Bueller's Day Off - but there's no V12 under the hood.
Even when the mid-80s movie was made in Chicago, a genuine 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California was not an option to be considered. The "Ferrari" used in the film wasn't actually a Ferrari but this did not stop the bidding on this movie replica.
A letter from Paramount Picture Cars states the authenticity of the vehicle, though it's believed this one was originally a static-use promotional car without an engine from the John Hughes film.
At some point, an engine was added as there is now a Ford 5.0-Litre V8 engine installed, which is thought to be a fuel-injected 5.0 used by many Fords from that time.
Listed as only 165 horsepower, this wasn't an engine with a high output. A four-speed automatic handles the gears, despite photos showing a gated shifter between the front seats – all part of the aura surrounding this replica.
The power is directed to a solid rear axle with four-wheel disc brakes at the corners.
A custom chassis was used to hold everything in place, with the same wheelbase as an actual 1961 Ferrari GT SWB California Spider.
The car has only had two owners in the last 34 years and now has a new one, whether it has any "days off" remains to be seen!
