Ferrari 348 Spider Red Tan Interior 1994 3.4l V8 Low Reserve Convertible on 2040-cars

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Jeep and Ram could be spun off from FCA, says Marchionne

Jeep is surely the biggest single feather left in the cap of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles portfolio. Under Sergio Marchionne's leadership, Jeep went from fewer than 500,000 annual sales in 2008 to 1.4 million in 2016, and is on track for 2 million by 2018. Add in the brand's legacy, status as one of the most recognizable nameplates in the world, and rabid fan base, and Jeep has extraordinary monetary value to its parent company. Investors and analysts have certainly noticed Jeep's inherent value. According to The Detroit Free Press, Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas asked FCA chief Sergio Marchionne if he would ever consider spinning Jeep and Ram, FCA's dedicated truck brand, into a separate corporate entity, and he responded with a simple "Yes." Jonas estimated Jeep's worth in January of this year at $22 billion. Ram was valued at $11.2 billion. Marchionne has a history of spinning off brands while keeping them part of FCA's corporate umbrella. The most noteworthy example of this value maximization was with Ferrari, which now trades on the New York Stock Exchange and rakes in $3.4 billion in annual revenue and close to $435 million in net income, reports the Free Press. Marchionne still serves as chairman and CEO of Ferrari, and Fiat heir John Elkann owns 22 percent of the Italian marque's shares. Even if the offloading of Jeep and Ram into a separate entity would amount to little more than a profit-driven ownership change on paper, it would be huge news to the brands' loyal fanbases. In any case, such a move would likely take years to actually happen and probably wouldn't mean much at all to the products that Jeep and Ram produce. In other words, Jeep fans can keep the pitchforks in the shed ... for now. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Ferrari 312PB looks amazing, sounds like you're ripping sheets

Whether it's Mozart, Beethoven or The Beatles, they all (arguably) pale in comparison to just the right engine note for many auto enthusiasts. Petrolicious has found one of the absolute best with its latest focus on a 1972 Ferrari 312PB.
The 312PB is important for more than just its ability to sound like an automotive symphony. It was also the final purpose-built prototype racer of the era from Ferrari before the Prancing Horse put its entire focus into Formula One. Maranello went out with a bang, though. The 312PB's design is simplicity itself with just a modified wedge shape combined with the necessary scoops and ducting to keep its 12-cylinder engine at full tune. The car won a string of races and scored the 1972 championship. Although even if it had been a loser, the racecar likely would have been famous just for its wonderful exhaust note.
In the video, Petrolicious expertly balances its interview with owner Steven Read with wonderful cinematography and just letting the Ferrari sing around the Willow Springs track. Crank up the volume and scroll down to get a wonderful earful of this sonorous vintage racer.

Fangio's Ferrari 290 MM should top $28 million at auction

Of all the legendary pilots that have driven for the Scuderia over the years, few carry the kind of clout that did one Juan Manuel Fangio. A five-time world champion from another era, Fangio won a couple dozen grands prix and a fair few sports car races as well, driving for the likes of Mercedes, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and of course Ferrari. What you see here is the car that Enzo's outfit built especially for Fangio. And now it's going up for auction, where it's anticipated – with good cause – to fetch big bucks. This 1956 Ferrari 290 MM – chassis number 0626 – was designed for Fangio to drive in the Mille Miglia. It would be the last time he would compete in the event, before being scrapped the following year. Victory in the thousand-mile race once again eluded the legendary Argentinian with a fourth-place finish, achieved single-handedly. But that wasn't the end of the story for 0626. It would go on to be raced by Phil Hill at the Nurburgring, by Alfonso de Portago at the Rouen Grand Prix, by Wolfgang von Trips at the start of his career with Ferrari, and won the Buenos Aires 1000 KM in 1957. Victories like those helped Ferrari clinch the manufacturer's title in both 1956 and '57, campaigns in which the 290 MM played an integral part. One (and arguably the best) of only four examples made, 0626 was never crashed during its decorated career. After its retirement from the Scuderia, it made its way through the hands of numerous collectors and racers on both sides of the Atlantic. It spent 34 years in the Mas du Clos collection of Pierre Bardinon before being acquired by its current owner, who in turn is now putting it up for auction. It will feature as part of RM Sotheby's upcoming Drive by Disruption sale in New York on December 10, where it is expected to sell for over $28 million. That would make it the most valuable car ever handled by the venerated auction house, outshining the 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 NART Spider it sold at Monterey in 2013 for $27.5 million. Of course it's not the only lot consigned for the Manhattan event. It'll be joined by a spectacular blue 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial that's expected to fetch around $6 million, as well as a 1962 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato (~$16m) and a Lamborghini Concept S (~$3m), to name just a few highlights on the horizon.