Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Article About Fake Ferraris

[clyderomero (clyderomero]

They have one of those spyders here at the Lambo dealer
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-----Original Message-----
From: red5hilser [at] aol.com

Date: Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:11:49 
To:clyde <clyderomero [at] worldnet.att.net>
Cc:ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com
Subject: Re: [Ferrari] Article About Fake Ferraris


I'll probably be crucified for this,Âbut I think that I wouldn't mind owning 
and driving the Beck Spyder Sure it's a knock-off, and a potential death trap, 
especially with a hopped-up Super 90 engine in it, we all know that, but "Look 
out, James Dean, here I come." <g> So ,,, Who's building the bondfire for me?

Yer Ferrari pal, Bubba


-----Original Message-----
Subject: Re: [Ferrari] Article About Fake Ferraris



Bolting bits onto a Fiero.  Isn't that what we call a Kit Car?  If a few Kit
ars can harm your companies image, your companies image needs a little
ork.  If Mr. Lewin thinks a Fiero Kit Car can lead to a real Ferrari losing
t colour, and appeal, maybe he needs to go for a ride in a real Ferrari.
Ed
11SC
On 28/02/2008, Larry B <larrybard [at] hotmail.com> wrote:

 Italian Tax Police Bust Up Fake-Ferrari Ring
 Auto-Body Shops Built Counterfeits Using Pontiac Fieros
 By ROSAMARIA MANCINIFebruary 28, 2008; Page D5
 It was the ultimate face-lift: a sporty red Ferrari F355 on the outside, a
 used Pontiac Fiero on the inside.
 That was enough, apparently, to entice wannabe Ferrari owners to plunk
 down â20,000, or about $30,000, for the chance to own an approximation of
 the real thing.
 Yesterday, Italian tax police, the Guardia di Finanza, busted up a ring of
 auto-body shops across the country that were trafficking in one of the most
 high-end and high-priced counterfeit cars of all time.






 The ring operated in a dozen cities from near the Alps in the north to
 Sicily in the south. Tax police rounded up seven completed fake Ferraris, as
 well as another seven that were still being decked out. Some of the
 counterfeit cars had already been sold. They also seized numerous spare
 parts, some of which were genuine Ferrari. Eight people were placed under
 investigation, but no arrests were made.
 The head of the Palermo unit of the tax police, Guido Mario Geremia, who
 spearheaded the investigation, said it involved "a sophisticated operation
 that was running throughout Italy."
 The global counterfeit industry has been one of the world's most
 inventive, churning out knockoff copies not just of Channel handbags and
 Gucci sunglasses, but also of products ranging from high-end wines to
 pharmaceuticals, telecommunications equipment and videogames.
 Even by those standards, copying a Ferrari seems particularly brazen. The
 company makes about 6,000 cars a year, and waiting lists for new models can
 run years. Most cost more than $200,000, but prices can soar far beyond that
 depending on the level of customization. The company boasts that its
 engineering -- much of which it also uses on its championship Formula One
 racing team -- is second to none.
 So who would dare buy a fake? "There are people who buy fake Louis Vuitton
 and Gucci bags, so it's not so strange that someone would buy a fake
 Ferrari," said Mr. Geremia.
 Mr. Geremia said he began working on the case six months ago based on a
 tip. He was able to trace the different cars and fake parts to cities
 throughout Italy, where specialized auto-body shops would strip down the
 body of the old Fiero, including its bumpers, hood and rear, and then mount
 parts to build the fake Ferrari.
 Once assembled, the fake Ferraris looked pretty close to the real things.
 At least when standing still. The Pontiac Fiero, whose production cycle
 spanned the second half of the 1980s, was considered a peppy, if not so
 dependable, two-seater. Still, its V4 engine is no match for the V8 under
 the hood of the F355, which boasts a top speed of 183 miles per hour.
 In a few cases, Mercedes and Porsches were used as the underlying cars
 instead of Pontiacs.
 Ferrari SpA, a unit of Fiat SpA, had no comment on the investigation.
 Spokeswoman Mariella Mengozzi said the company works side by side with
 authorities in Italy and abroad on these types of investigations.
 Last year, fake Ferraris were nabbed by the tax police in Sardinia and
 Rome. In 2006, the European Commissioner for Justice, Franco Frattini,
 protested publicly that fake Ferraris were popping up in China.
 The ring uncovered yesterday included salesmen who promoted what they said
 were "replica" Ferraris over several Internet sites. They also operated
 showrooms where the cars were displayed. Others provided parts, from
 headlights to steering wheels.
 The latest figures from the World Customs Organization show that all types
 of counterfeits result in about $500 billion to $600 billion in lost sales
 annually, which is about 5% of global trade.
 Harley Lewin, a partner with New York law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP, who
 specializes in counterfeit issues and isn't involved in the Ferrari case,
 said that even a few fake Ferraris on the road could harm the company's
 image. "It starts to taint the brand," he said. "It becomes a big deal; all
 of the sudden legitimate products start to lose their color, their appeal.
 The fake cheapen and diminish the real thing."






 URL for this article:
 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120415357135797887.html
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