Manual, Rare, Immaculate, Body Pkg on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Fiat Chrysler starts production of ventilator components in Italy

MILAN — Fiat Chrysler has begun producing ventilator parts to help Italy's Siare Engineering boost its output of the medical equipment needed to treat patients during the coronavirus crisis, the carmaker said on Friday. Carmakers around the world are ramping up production of critical healthcare products and machines to respond to the enormous demand during the pandemic. Italy, the epicenter of the virus outbreak in Europe, had asked Siare to triple its normal monthly production as a part of government efforts to increase the number of intensive care beds. FCA said that with the support of luxury group Ferrari and holding company Exor, which controls both carmakers, it had produced the first electrovalves, a key part in ventilators, at its plant in Cento, in northern Italy. The Cento plant is usually used to produces high-performance car engines for the global market. It had been closed because of the coronavirus but has partially reopened for this project. "With the additional supply of electrovalves from Cento, Siare estimates that it will be able to reduce total production time for ventilators by as much as 30-50%", the statement said. In addition to the production of the electrovalves, a team of specialists from FCA is also working alongside Siare staff at their production facility near the city of Bologna. "The objective is to help increase Siare's total production, with a gradual scaling up of daily output beginning from the first week of April", FCA said.

Will this 1966 Ferrari three-seater surpass $20M at Pebble Beach auction?

With a week of lavish automotive events coming up centered around the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August, some of the highest profile auto auctions in the world are about to take place. Hearing about Ferrari Testa Rossas and 250 GTOs going for tens of millions of dollars during these events is commonplace, but Gooding & Company is bringing a unique Prancing Horse to sell in California that could be a record-breaker for the company.
The car in question is the drop-dead gorgeous 1966 Ferrari 365 P Berlinetta Speciale with just 7,900 kilometers (4,910 miles) on the clock that's pictured above, and it checks all of the boxes to make it incredibly desirable. First off, just look at it. The flowing lines and giant, tinted moonroof really make this Ferrari a head-turner. Inside, it has the distinctive feature of three seats with the driver slightly forward in the middle, kind of like the McLaren F1. And what a view from behind the wheel with all of the expansive glass in front of and above the driver. According to the auction listing, Pininfarina displayed the Speciale at a variety of international motor shows in 1966 and 1967.
If the looks aren't enough, then the provenance puts this Ferrari over the top, for sure. Underneath those gorgeous lines is the chassis from a Ferrari 365 P2 endurance racer. The sale claims that this was the first mid-engine, Ferrari 12-cylinder model created from the start as a road car. After touring with Pininfarina, it went to Luigi Chinetti, the first man to sell a Prancing Horse in the US and the boss of the company's North American Racing Team. He sold it twice, but the Speciale has been in the hands of the Chinetti since 1969.

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.