Heroshot

1985 Modena Spyder California

Bonhams Amelia Island 2023
Thursday, 2 March
$313,000
Sale Price
350000 - 450000
Est. Range
Yes
Reserve
2 March 2023
Sold Date
190
Lot Number
#3
Visually maintained, largely original
Bonhams
Auction House
Chassis no. AZ218752. Red with black top over tan. Ford 302/165hp, automatic, wire wheels, two mirrors, Nardi woodrim steering wheel, Jaeger gauges, Alpine cassette.

Evaluation: One of the cars built to look like a genuine Ferrari 250 California Spider for Ferris Bueller’s day off. Even in 1986, real Cal Spiders were too valuable to whip around the streets of Chicago and roll out a window into the words.

Shows average paint on a fiberglass body. Dull brightwork. Some scrapes on the steering wheel. Some mild cracks in the leather. Although the transmission is an auto, there’s still an open gate shifter as if it wasn’t. Presents like an average kit car, but this thing is also a movie star and that’s why it’s at an auction like this.

Bottom Line: Built by a company called Modena Design & Development, this car has a working man’s Ford 302 instead of a silky V-12, but ironically these phony Ferraris built for the film are probably more famous than any of the real Cal Spiders. They’ve come to market before, with one selling in 2010 for £79,600 ($96,340), two in 2018 for $396,000 and $407,000, and one last December for $377,000. It’s all a lot of money for a fake, but still a fraction of the eight-figure price tag on a real Cal Spider, and in the world of ’80s movie cars isn’t all that expensive. Just look at the $2M Porsche 928 from Risky Business.

by Andrew Newton
8 April 2023

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