2012 Ferrari California Magneride Dual Suspension Highpower Hifi 20" Diamond Rim on 2040-cars

Auto blog

How this Ferrari 250 GTE became Rome's most famous police car

We're used to seeing fancy cars gifted to or bought by certain international police forces today, but the story of this 1962 Ferrari 250 GTE goes well beyond a gift. Because Rome's anti-organized-crime unit, Squadra Mobile, was doing a terrific job in the early '60s, the Italian president asked what they wanted as a token of appreciation. The answer, meant as a joke, was "A Ferrari." The president, in all seriousness, got them two.
One was almost immediately destroyed during testing, the other remains in the care of Alberto Capelli today, whose father began attending military and government auctions just after World War II. Petrolicious visited Capelli to hear the 51-year-old tale of the most precious cop car you're going to see for a while, and it involves outlaws, a French gangster in a Citroën, a policeman who was offered a spot on the Ferrari factory team by Enzo himself, and more. It's a fantastic yarn, and you can watch the whole story below.

Chief justice invokes 'Ferris Bueller' Ferrari in Supreme Court car case

WASHINGTON — U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday wrestled with the scope of police authority to search vehicles without warrants, with Chief Justice John Roberts referencing the shiny red Ferrari taken for a joyride in the 1986 comedy film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" to make a serious legal point. The justices heard arguments in two cases in which convicted defendants are seeking to have key evidence against them thrown out because it was obtained by police officers through vehicle searches conducted without a court-issued warrant. One case involved a stolen motorcycle that was covered by a tarpaulin and parked on private property next to a house in Charlottesville, Virginia. The other involved a rental car stopped by police in Pennsylvania — driven by a man who was not named on the agreement with the rental agency — in which heroin was found. At issue is whether police in the two cases violated the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures. In the motorcycle case, Roberts and other justices seemed concerned about issuing a broad ruling in favor of law enforcement that would let police officers not just inspect the immediate area outside a property without a warrant but also potentially inside a house if a vehicle is located there. Under the Fourth Amendment, police need a warrant to search a house unless there is an emergency situation. In the case of convicted defendant Ryan Collins, the motorcycle was a few feet from the house. In "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" starring Matthew Broderick, three teenagers skip school and take a ride in a red 1963 Ferrari Modena Spyder California that was parked inside a showroom-type garage apparently attached to a house. After mentioning the film's car, Roberts asked Trevor Cox, the state of Virginia's lawyer who was defending the police search, whether he was arguing that police "can just go in" to a house without a warrant because a car is "mobile and they got it in there somehow (so) they can get it out." Roberts also mentioned comedian Jay Leno, known for storing a large collection of cars. Other justices voiced similar concerns, including Neil Gorsuch, who seemed troubled about police officers being able to search garages and other outbuildings without a warrant. "Not many people live in their garage. Some people do, some people do, and in barns, but usually they're reserved for cars and for animals.

That aluminum-bodied '69 Ferrari Daytona barn find sold for $2.2M

Barn finds are a strange thing. The idea that some beautiful or rare car can simply be locked away and forgotten about seems unthinkable to many enthusiasts. Still, there's entire communities and several television shows dedicated to unearthing these vehicles. One of the most notable finds in recent memory was the sole road-going aluminum-bodied 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona in existence. The car just sold for about $2.2 million at an RM Sotheby's auction this past weekend. According to the auction house, this is the 30th of just over 1,200 Ferrari Daytonas ever built. This particular car was found stowed away in Japan, having sat collecting dust and dirt for nearly 40 years. While five aluminum-bodied Daytonas were built for racing, this is the only known street car with aluminum body panels. According to an evaluator, the engine and transaxle are both numbers matching. The odometer reads 36,390 kilometers, or about 22,611 miles. That number is believed to be accurate. All the aluminum body panels wear the correct Scaglietti markings. This car has Rosso Chiaro paint over Nero leather (red over black). Other options include Plexiglas headlamps and power windows. The interior is said to be in surprisingly good shape. The car sold for just more than its initial estimate. Let's hope the new owner gets it back into running condition. Related Video: Featured Gallery 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta Alloy View 25 Photos News Source: RM Sotheby's Ferrari Auctions Coupe Classics