FERRIS BUELLER’S FERRARI UP FOR AUCTION AT BONHAMS

Ferrari 250GT Spyder California which featured in Hollywood film to be sold


A replica of the Ferrari 250GT Spyder California specially created for the 1986 Paramount hit film ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ is to be sold at Bonhams Collectors’ Motor Cars and Automobilia auction at 11am on 19th April at the RAF Museum, Hendon.

Only around one hundred genuine 250GT Spyder California’s were created by Ferrari between 1958 and 1963. Existing examples are very rare and expensive so Paramount chose to commission and build a replica for filming purposes. The film, voted by readers of Total Film magazine the 23rd greatest comedy of all time, follows Ferris and two of his friends skipping high school for a day and borrowing the Spyder California from one of their fathers. A young Matthew Broderick stars as Ferris who fakes illness to miss school, and convinces his girlfriend Sloane and his best friend Cameron to have a day of fun before they head off to their different colleges. The Dean of the school doesn’t believe Ferris’ deception and also becomes embroiled in their adventures. The film, starring this iconic car, was a huge hit (grossing over $70million in the US) and Broderick was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Styled by Pininfarina, the classic lines of the car combine elegance and aggression, and it ranks alongside the Lusso as the ultimate expression of the Ferrari 250GT family. It was also a highly capable competition machine, as was demonstrated by Ginther/Hively winning their class at the Sebring 12 Hours in March 1958 on their way to finishing 9th overall, and Grossman/Tavano finishing 5th overall at Le Mans in June.

The car, estimated in this auction at £30,000-40,000 is ready to drive, so why not snap it up and have your own “day off.”

Source: www.bonhams.com/cars

FERRARI 458 ITALIA RECEIVES GQ MAGAZINE’S “SUPERCAR OF THE YEAR”

The Ferrari 458 Italia has been declared “Supercar of the Year” by GQ Magazine, the UK’s most important and influential men’s style magazine. The magazine described the newest addition to the Ferrari range as “a motor that elicits the most primal response from all who see it, while moving engineering on to a whole new level”, with the engine in particular being described as a “masterpiece”.

The GQ Magazine award comes on the back of another recent award from BBC Top Gear Magazine which voted the Ferrari 458 Italia not only their “Supercar of the Year” but their overall “Car of the Year”.

The Ferrari 458 Italia was revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September to immediate critical acclaim. Following an extensive international media test drive programme in Maranello, the home of the fabled Prancing Horse, the car has been the subject of enthusiastic reviews, with its handling, roadholding, ride comfort and performance all being subject to the kind of superlatives rarely seen from the world’s leading journalists.

Source: Ferrari

FIRST DAY OF FERRARI 288 GTO REUNION TODAY!

Click the image to visit Joe Sackey's flickr page.

Over the past 24 years, both in England and in the USA, Joe Sackey has personally owned many classic cars, including, several Ferrari F40s and 288 GTOs, multiple Lamborghini Miuras, all Countach variants, and many classic Porsches. Joe’s commitment to several time-consuming nut-and-bolt restorations has brought him untold knowledge and experience of these cars.


Forcthcoming! The Book of the Ferrari 288 GTO by Joe Sackey. Published by Veloce in September 2010.

PETER COLLINS INTERVIEW

I caught up with Peter Collins - Author of classic Veloce books - Lancia 037 - The development and rally history of a world champion & Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 - The development and racing history.



I also asked him about his two exciting new books - British Touring Car Racing – The crowd’s favourite – late 1960s to 1990 (Those were the days series) & Ferrari 312P & 312PB (WSC Giants series).

THREE UK DEBUTS FOR FERRARI AT THE GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED

Ferrari will be showcasing three exciting new models during the Sunday Times Supercar Run at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed: the California, the Scuderia Spider 16M and the 599 GTB Fiorano with HGTE package.



The Ferrari California is the Prancing Horse’s first front-engined V8 which has been classically styled to echo one of the greatest designs from Ferrari’s history, the 250 GT California. The new California, however, is packed with the latest technology and includes Ferrari’s first dual-clutch 7-speed gearbox, a direct injection 4.3 V8 engine with 460hp, the latest F1-Trac traction control system, a new multi-link rear suspension, and, of course, an innovative retractable folding hardtop that opens or closes in only 14 seconds. The California has already received the critical acclaim of the automotive press around the world, with Top Gear claiming it is a “proper God’s honest, marrow-deep Ferrari”, and Autocar describing it as “absolutely bloody marvellous!”.

The Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M is a very special high-performance model launched to commemorate Ferrari’s 16th F1 Constructors’ Title in 2008. Limited to an exclusive 499 examples worldwide, the Scuderia Spider 16M features the same honed-to-perfection handling of the 430 Scuderia, but with some additional livery options, interior detailing and, of course, the extreme thrills that come with open-top motoring in Ferrari’s fastest convertible car around the company’s Fiorano test track in Maranello. The Scuderia Spider 16M has already been described by EVO as “utterly, totally, mesmerisingly visceral” and by CAR as “breathtakingly gorgeous” and “simply biblical”.



The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano with HGTE package completes Ferrari’s presence at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year, with a car that takes the handling of the award-winning 599 GTB Fiorano to another level, with improved steering feel, brake response, throttle response, suspension and traction control settings to ensure the sharpest driving experience of any front-engined V12 GT car on sale today. The HGTE package can also be identified by additional visual cues such as revised front grille, new wheel design, exhaust tips and a bespoke interior with HGTE stitching on the seats. Like the California and the Scuderia Spider 16M, the 599 with HGTE package has received praise from the automotive press, with Performance Car declaring it “Ferrari’s most complete supercar to date” and the Daily Telegraph succumbing to the appeal of a “supercar named desire”.
PR Source: www.ferrari.com

Coming soon! Ferrari 312P & 312PB by Peter Collins and Ed McDonough.
The origin and subsequent history of the 3-litre Ferrari sports cars, which the famed Italian firm designed and built to contest the various versions of the World Sports Car Championship between 1969 and 1973. This series of cars started with the V12 engine and progressed to using the Flat 12 Ferrari engine from the then current Grand Prix car. Includes the developmental and race history, with a full list of all events and individual chassis numbers.
Click here for more info about the book.

288 GTO 25TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION UPDATE

Here is an update from Joe Sackey Classics on the Ferrari 288 GTO event later in the year. Joe Sackey is the author of the much acclaimed Veloce book The Lamborghini Miura Bible.

JSC is thrilled to announce that the 2009 Ferrari 288 GTO 25th Anniversary Reunion has partnered with Concorso Italiano 2009 and this reunion is now a two day event!

Friday August 14th, 2009:

Ferrari 288 GTO owners and one guest will receive complimentary entrance into the world-famous Concorso Italiano. This year marks the show returning to its original roots and glory. Please see www.concorso.com for complete details of the event and its new beautiful location ten minutes from downtown Carmel and Monterey.

288 GTO cars will be prominently displayed and featured, and owners and guests will be able to enjoy the comforts of the 288 GTO hospitality tent, complete with seating and refreshment, amidst beautiful Ferrari decor. As a Ferrari owner, you will also be invited to the Ferrari hospitality area as well.

To register for Concorso Italiano please contact www.concorso.com and indicate that your car is a 288 GTO display car. You will not be billed for your car entry fee.

Saturday, August 15th:

Meet and greet at a pre-determined location in Carmel at 9:15 am. Depart at 10:00 am sharp. *location to be announced closer to date

We will drive on CA - 1 North to CA - 17 N to Los Gatos. It is a 60 mile drive, and will take approximately 60 minutes. It is a freeway with a two lane highway in some hilly areas. A very beautiful coastal California drive both the driver and passenger will enjoy, as well as the GTO!

We will arrive at Campo di Bocce, an "Italian Ristorante, Bocce Facility and Full Bar" located in the quaint and historical town of Los Gatos, in the heart of Silicon Valley. The owners are enthusiastic Italians and are excited about welcoming our group. www.campodibocce.com. We will have full use of their private parking lot in the front of the restaurant and security guards will be provided to keep an eye on the cars.

We will enjoy outside dining alongside three reserved state-of-the-art Bocce courts amid vine covered arbors and Cypress trees. We will receive instruction in the game of Bocce for those that need it! Its fun and oh, so Italian!

The reunion will be photographed extensively, and it will be featured in Joe's upcoming book on the Ferrari 288 GTO, to be published by Veloce in 2010.

Visit the JLC website for more information and contact details.

CALLING ALL FERRARI 288 GTO OWNERS!

Ferrari 288 GTO owners are being invited to join what will be a truly unique and spectacular event, a gathering of Ferrari 288 GTOs to celebrate the model's 25th anniversary.

288 GTO specialist Joe Sackey is organizing the first-ever reunion of the cars in the USA, to be staged during the famed Monterey Historics & Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance Car Week in California during August 2009.

Interested 288 GTO owners and enthusiasts can find details and news of the event on Joe's website (www.joesackey.com). Don't miss it!

Successor to the legendary Ferrari 250 GTO. The "O" in 288 GTO stands for "Omologato" (homologation), showing that these cars with their period F1-based technology were intended for the world's racetracks. However, the premature end of the Group B race series meant that the 284 examples built were never raced and were instead sold as road cars with phenomenal performance to a lucky few owners. First of a series of iconic Ferrari Supercars in the modern era, the 288 GTO spawned the legendary F40, F50 and the Enzo models.

Joe Sackey, author of the much-acclaimed "The Lamborghini Miura Bible" (Veloce) is in the process of writing the ultimate book on the Ferrari 288 GTO for publication by Veloce sometime in 2010.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CAR OF ALL TIME

Classic & Sports Car magazine have polled a 20-strong panel as the jury to decide the single most beautiful classic car.

And the winner ...
The Citroën DS!

James Elliott, editor of Classic & Sports Car, said: “The Citroën is a benchmark design, but we were still astonished that it came out on top when you look at the sexiness – and values – of some of its rivals. Apart from the Mini, it’s by far the most affordable car to get any nominations at all, which probably means it’s a great investment!

Giorgetto Giugiaro - the man behind the Maserati Bora, VW Golf, Fiat Panda and Lotus Esprit, said: “The only example of a car really conceived ‘outside the box’. It is just impossible to imitate.”
Source:newspress

Check out these fantastic Citroën DS books published by Veloce:

Citroën DS – Design Icon
by Malcolm Bobbitt.


The most radical of Citroën’s idiosyncratic offerings, the DS was sensational when it was introduced in 1955. Twenty years and 1.45 million cars later it was still technically advanced to most other cars. Revolutionary in driving characteristics and comfort, it remains one of the most innovative cars of all time. Click here for more info about the book!





Citroën DS & ID – The Essential Buyer's Guide by Rudy Heilig.

Guides collectors, restorers and enthusiasts through the various production changes and problem areas that occur between the various models, to make sure that the restoration or prospective purchase is correct, original, and legitimate. This book is an essential reference tool that can be used when buying, selling, repairing or restoring the various D-models manufactured between 1966 and 1975. One hundred colour photos, useful appendices and expert advice mean that this book could save you thousands! Click here for more info about the book!



Personal favourite, The Lamborghini Miura also made the top 10 in the poll!
1. Citroën DS
2= Jaguar XK120
2= Ferrari 275GTB
4= Cord 810/812
4= Ferrari 250GT Lusso
4= Ferrari 250GT Short-wheelbase
4= Jaguar E-type
4= Lamborghini Miura
4= Lotus Elan
4= Lotus Elite (1957)

A DRIVE ON THE WILD SIDE - ALISTAIR WEAVER INTERVIEW ON AUTO-LAB

If the video doesn't display click here



Available Now! A Drive on the Wild Side – Twenty extreme driving adventures from around the world by Alistair Weaver.

Written by award winning journalist and television presenter Alistair Weaver, and illustrated by some of the world's leading automotive photographers, A Drive on the Wild Side, takes you on a fascinating journey across some of the world's most challenging roads. Experience the heat of the Laos jungle, the loneliness of the Arctic and the bullet-marked streets of Beirut from behind the wheel of some of the world's finest cars. Find out what it is really like to drive a Ferrari 612 across the forgotten wastelands of western China, or to chase poachers on the slopes of Mount Kenya. This book tells the fascinating, hair raising and moving stories experienced during a career-spanning automotive adventure in style, with 400 stunning photos. This is a book that will appeal to car and travel enthusiasts across the world.

Click here for more info about the book.

EXCITEMENT BUILDS OVER THE UNVEILING OF THE FERRARI CALIFORNIA

The stunning coupé-cabriolet will be revealed at the Paris Motor Show.

The new Ferrari California has created such expectation amongst both those in the industry and the public. This is not the only piece of good news to come from the Prancing Horse at the Paris Show as Ferrari will also be announcing the extension of the One To One Personalisation Programme, debuted last March solely for the 612 Scaglietti, to the 599 GTB Fiorano. The Paris Motor Show starts 4th October and runs untill the 19th of the month. With exciting developments at Ferrari in mind i thought it fitting to give news of this forthcoming Veloce book about the Ferrari Dino!

Dino - The V6 Ferrari by Brian Long. Although not the fastest or the most powerful Ferrari, the beautiful lines of the Dino have inspired generations of enthusiasts. This book covers the full story of the Dino, from Pininfarina concept car through to the final production model, illustrated throughout with contemporary material.
click here for info about the book.

From Ferrari to Fired! The Apprentice BBC1

Last night's episode saw Sir Alan Sugar's Apprentice hopeful Michael Sophocles given the boot after given the task of renting timed slots in supercars to potential wealthy Londoners. Hilariously, Michael chose to pitch his Ferrari at the fruitmarket on Portobello Road. It came as no surprise when Michael was subsequently fired in the boardroom for poor sales. Veloce Publishing's latest exciting new book to be in stock entitled From Fells to Ferrari – The Official Biography of Cliff Allison should have no problem reeling in Ferrari enthusiasts out there.

From the Fells to Ferrari – The Official Biography of Cliff Allison
By Graham Gauld
Features

- One of the early young British drivers after the war
- Cliff Allison cut his teeth on the tough races of 500cc Formula 3 and fought his way through the early days of Lotus
- The first driver to score World Championship points for Lotus
- As competent in sports cars as Grand Prix cars
- Winner of the Index of Performance at Le Mans in a Lotus Eleven
- Ferrari team-mate of Tony Brooks, Dan Gurney and Phil Hill
Description

The biography of Cliff Allison, who began motor racing over fifty years ago with a little Cooper 500. Very much a countryman at heart, Allison was not one of the party-going racing crowd, but a driver with a huge ambition to race in Formula 1. With 100 photos, full history and complete race results, this is a fascinating piece of motorsport’s past.
Synopsis

This book is the biography of Cliff Allison who started motor racing over fifty years ago with a little Cooper 500. Very much a countryman at heart Allison was not one of the party-going racing drivers but a driver with a huge ambition to race in Formula 1. He and Graham Hill competed in the first grand prix race for Colin Chapman’s Lotus team in 1958 and scored the first world championship points for Lotus. He later joined Ferrari and won the Argentine 1000kms sports car race with American co-driver Phil Hill as well as being a member of the Ferrari grand prix team in 1959 and 1960. Cliff Allison can also claim victories in many sports car events including winning the Index of Performance at Le Mans in 1957 with a 750cc Lotus Eleven-Climax.
His retired from racing following an accident whilst driving a Lotus-Climax in practice for the Belgian GP at Spa in 1961.

For more info on this book click here