1961 Ferrari replica from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ to be auctioned

Schenelle Dsouza

If you grew up watching the iconic escapist fantasy, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, then you most definitely remember the iconic red Ferrari owned by Cameron’s father. A replica of the original is slated to be auctioned off by UK-based auction house, Bonhams early next month.

For those that haven’t seen the movie— here’s how the story goes. The mischievous Ferris decides to skip school feigning illness and ropes in his girlfriend Sloane and best friend Cameron for a day of fun. Among the many schemes of Ferris is the ultimate activity planned, a short road trip to Chicago in Cameron’s dad’s 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder. All is fun and games until Cameron accidentally totals the car while trying to erase the mileage from the trio’s adventure.

While not the exact one, a replica of the beloved 1961 model has been listed for auction with UK-based auction house Bonhams. According to reports, there were about four replicas of the original model used during the movie’s production, and this particular model is the last of them. The original vehicle which was a real 1961 GT 250 Ferrari was auctioned off in 2020 and fetched a whopping $17 million. 

Usually, car replicas used during movie productions tend to be nothing more than props, just a showpiece that cannot be driven. However, this particular model called a “Fauxarri” can actually be taken out for a spin.

The Fauxarri was built by California-based Modena Design & Development which produced a total of four vehicles for the movie. The car has a fibreglass body with a tub chassis and was designed to look just like the iconic roadster. The vehicle was powered by a modified Ford V8 — a fuel-injected 5.0-litre V-8 fixed with what looks like a gated manual shifter on the centre console but is actually an automatic transmission, because the film’s star, Matthew Broderick, couldn’t drive a stick.

Over the years, the car has been well maintained and is said ot have had just owners in its 34-year history. One being a  Paramount Picture Cars employee and a Los Angeles plastic surgeon who obtained the car from the employee as partial payment for his services.

The Ferrari replica is slated to go up for bidding on March 2 as part of Bonhams’s Amelia Island Auction. While no specific price has been mentioned on the website, the car is expected to sell for a price ranging US $350,000 to $450,000 although it is anticipated that the car might be sold for a price higher than that of the estimate.

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