Get All Access for $5/mo

Ferris Bueller's Ferrari Sold for $337,500 at an Auction, But It's a Fake The 1961 California Spyder replica was used to crash through a garage window in the classic 80s movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

By Jonathan Small

There's a famous scene in the iconic 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off when his dad's prized 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder accidentally crashes through a garage window and falls into the woods below.

Photo by CBS via Getty Images

That same car recently sold at an auction for $337,000, which seems like a steal since a 1961 California Spyder sells for millions.

But here's the catch—it wasn't a Ferrari at all, but rather a 1985 "replicar" designed by Modena Design and Development.

The crash car was one of three faux Ferraris built for the movie — albeit the most famous. While the red sportscar looks a lot like the original California Spyder, it doesn't drive. Plus, the car is sort of a lemon — it was destroyed in the movie and then later rebuilt for sale. According to Motor Trend, the car has had several owners.

Related: Ferrari Reveals Its First Four-Door Model. Just Don't Call It This One Thing.

The story of Ferris Bueller replicars

As Hollywood legend has it, Ferris Bueller director John Hughes wanted the 1961 Ferrari to be one of the movie's stars. But crashing a classic car out a window was just too expensive — even by movie studio standards.

Hughes discovered Modena Design and Research, a new company that built Ferrari replicas. He commissioned three fake Ferraris in all for the movie. But the designs of the Ferraris were so accurate that Ferrari sued Modena Design and won a cease and desist order. The company went out of business in 1989.

Related: This Baseball Card Just Sold for an Insane Amount of Money

From 1985 to 1989, Modena made 50 Modena Spyders, and only 38 still exist.

Watch the car crash scene from the movie below.

<

Jonathan Small

Entrepreneur Staff

Founder, Strike Fire Productions

Jonathan Small is a bestselling author, journalist, producer, and podcast host. For 25 years, he has worked as a sought-after storyteller for top media companies such as The New York Times, Hearst, Entrepreneur, and Condé Nast. He has held executive roles at Glamour, Fitness, and Entrepreneur and regularly contributes to The New York Times, TV Guide, Cosmo, Details, Maxim, and Good Housekeeping. He is the former “Jake” advice columnist for Glamour magazine and the “Guy Guru” at Cosmo.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Growing a Business

How Connecting With the Right Audience Drives Long-Term Business Success

Here's how targeted lead generation can help you unlock higher conversions, stronger brand loyalty and scalable growth.

Leadership

Should I Stay or Should I Go? 8 Key Points to Navigate the Founder's Dilemma

Here are eight key signs that help founders determine whether to persevere or let go.

Business News

'You Own Nothing Here on Social': Meta Outage, Looming TikTok Ban Has Creators Questioning How Much of Their Business They Really Control

With repeated tech outages and a possible TikTok ban on the horizon, creators are looking for new ways to influence. Turns out, one old-school way still reigns supreme.

Starting a Business

They Bought an Ice Cream Truck Off eBay for $5,000. Now Their Company Has 70 Shops and Sells Treats in Over 12,000 Stores.

For the episode of "The Founder CEO," the co-founder and CEO of Van Leeuwen Ice Cream explains how one ice cream truck grew into a successful nationwide brand.

Marketing

Your Most Powerful Marketing Weapon Is Hiding in the Finance Department — Here's Why

Transform your marketing leadership by turning finance from a barrier into a strategic ally. Learn how aligning with your finance team can drive unprecedented growth and innovation.