Fake Ferrari gang caught in Italy

DonJose

A gang of rogue mechanics who made fake Ferraris out of other cars has been smashed by Italian police.

The gang knocked out the counterfeits based on Pontiacs, Mercedes and Toyotas at a bargain £15,000 (€19,700) each.

Police have confiscated 14 fake Ferrari Modena 360s – seven sold and seven under construction – in an operation reaching from Palermo to Milan, said Guido Geremia head of the Italian financial police unit that led the investigation. Eight people are under investigation.

Investigators do not know how many of the cars have been sold in the past, but Mr Geremia said the buyers knew they were fakes and were clearly seeking to impress less-knowing neighbours. “That is the only reason,” he said.

http://breakingnews.ie/world/mhojkfaucwid/

Wishbone Ash

L-M

DonJose wrote: »

Mr Geremia said the buyers knew they were fakes and were clearly seeking to impress less-knowing neighbours. “That is the only reason,” he said.

http://breakingnews.ie/world/mhojkfaucwid/

What? Is there another reason why people buy Ferrari's?:rolleyes:

Rowley Birkin QC

I wonder where Ferrari stand legally on those MR2's like the one in Wishbone Ashes post. It would be priceless to see those going to the crusher.

Run_to_da_hills

They are called kit cars and they have been around for years, Seen one driving around Ennis last year based on a MR2.
http://images.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://www.kit-cars.org/wp-content/kitcarimg/ferrari1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.kit-cars.org/ferrari-kit-cars-at-extreme/&h=260&w=400&sz=27&hl=en&start=12&um=1&tbnid=AYg0lBJL-1rdDM:&tbnh=81&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dkit%2Bcars%2Bferrari%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

L-M

bigkev49 wrote: »

I wonder where Ferrari stand legally on those MR2's like the one in Wishbone Ashes post. It would be priceless to see those going to the crusher.

I wouldn't like them to go to the crusher, they might just well be my one and only chance to own a Ferrari:p

Tipsy Mac

This has been going on for years, the MR2 is apparently one of the favourite cars to do it on...

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Ferrari/F355/Gts/799775/
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Ferrari/F355/car/840112/

L-M

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

This has been going on for years, the MR2 is apparently one of the favourite cars to do it on...

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Ferrari/F355/Gts/799775/
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Ferrari/F355/car/840112/

All the money they put into those cars, and the wheels they cheapen out on.. I have yet too see any Mr2 conversion with a nice set of wheels, or anything that looks remotely Ferrari.

Wishbone Ash

BTW Limerick-man - that "Ferrari" was snapped in Limerick (Ballylanders to be precise).

L-M

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

BTW Limerick-man - that "Ferrari" was snapped in Limerick (Ballylanders to be precise).

I've only see one of them in person, and that was a the Limerick Race course... Could of been it actually...:D

old boy

your other halfs wishbone ? aint she from there

Wishbone Ash

old boy wrote: »

your other halfs wishbone ? aint she from there

You have a good memory!! :eek: The pic was taken during a visit to the outlaws!

Tropheus

Ferrari have copyright on their name and badges. I'm sure they could insist that their badges and name be removed from rogue cars. They wouldn't have to worry about design as very few of them look anything like the real thing.

I saw a 406 Coupe based 360 Modena recently. As opposed to the MR2 based 355's, it looked to have close to the right proportions. However, up close, it's a give away as it has rear seats and the engine is in the front.

unkel

To quote Confucius:

"I'd rather have a Ferrari that looked like a Toyota than a Toyota that looked like a Ferrari"

L-M

ksimpson wrote: »

Ferrari have copyright on their name and badges. I'm sure they could insist that their badges and name be removed from rogue cars. They wouldn't have to worry about design as very few of them look anything like the real thing.

I saw a 406 Coupe based 360 Modena recently. As opposed to the MR2 based 355's, it looked to have close to the right proportions. However, up close, it's a give away as it has rear seats and the engine is in the front.

I can't imagine there are many around, so would i be right in saying this is the 360?
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Ferrari/360/car/671107/

Tropheus

Limerick-man wrote: »

I can't imagine there are many around, so would i be right in saying this is the 360?
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Ferrari/360/car/671107/

The one I saw was red. I did see it for sale on carzone at the time. That was about six months ago.

Tony Danza

Limerick-man wrote: »

I can't imagine there are many around, so would i be right in saying this is the 360?
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Ferrari/360/car/671107/

God that interior is disgusting!!

SuperGrover

Seems to me that this lark of dressing up an MR2 as a Ferrari is the adult equivalent of using playing cards in the spokes of your bike to pretend you have a motorbike.

Biro

Can't understand why people with a 92 MR2 base their car on a car that only came out in 94. Maybe the 348 style "testarossa fins" are too expensive!

Biro

SuperGrover wrote: »

Seems to me that this lark of dressing up an MR2 as a Ferrari is the adult equivalent of using playing cards in the spokes of your bike to pretend you have a motorbike.

Exactly!! Excellent analogy.