“The 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California.” [“Oh Yeah” by Yello plays.] “Less than 100 were made. My father spent three years restoring this car. It is his love. It is his passion.”
“It is his fault he didn’t lock the garage.”
You know this exchange from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: Ferris and Cameron talking about what is now one of the most iconic cars in film history before driving it into oblivion. The thing is, a genuine Ferrari was only used for still shots. Every driving scene (and the famous reverse-through-the-plate-glass scene) features a replica. This August, one of those replicas is going up for auction.
Its officially known as the 1963 Modena GT Spyder California and will be auctioned off in California during Mecum’s Monterey sale, taking place August 15th to 17th. As Hemmings Daily writes, one of the replicas was inducted into the National Historic Vehicle Register, one was sold to Planet Hollywood then fell off the radar, and this one, rediscovered in 2013, is the third.
As the current owner, Neil Glassmoyer, says, it’s impossible to know which Modena replica was used in which scene, but Hemmings writes that this vehicle is “said to be the Modena Spyder that exited the shrine constructed by Cameron’s dad.”
Glassmoyer is the one who saw the car was for sale in 2013 and, upon inspecting it, found the upper suspension mount was stamped “001,” proving it was in fact one of the three replicas. He would know; he was one of the people at Modena Design putting the original cars together after director John Hughes requested three for Ferris Bueller.
So how does this Modena GT differ from the Ferrari 250 GT? The original replicas made for the movie were powered by a Ford V8 with an automatic transmission, while the Ferrari used a Colombo V12 with a manual transmission. This replica differs from both, as Glassmoyer has since restored and upgraded the vehicle, installing a 351 Windsor V8 and Tremec TKO five-speed manual.
Other improvements from the original replica (and original Ferrari) include new front and rear disc brakes, more common 16-inch wheels, a vintage-styled audio system and a speedometer hooked up to a GPS feed. The estimated selling price for the history and the restoration? Between $300,000 and $400,000.
Are you ready to make this replica your love, your passion?
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