FERRARI P SERIES GETS REAL AND FAKE MAKEOVERS
The Ferrari P series of automobiles, namely the Ferrari P4, has gotten some interesting press lately. Although it is usual for Ferrari to find its cars discussed in the press, it is a little strange to see so much flurry surrounding a model of which only three were made in the late 1960s. The Ferrari P4 was a highly stylized model that, though not widely manufactured, still made a mark on the Ferrari design. The significance of the Ferrari P4 was obvious to James Glickenhaus, a multi-millionaire film director/investor. His love affair with the P4 Ferrari led Glickenhaus and Pininfarina to create something new. Glickenhaus first purchased a Ferrari Enzo but conveyed his interest in having Pininfarina re-design the car in the style of the P Series.
Fake Ferrari P4 Highlights Piracy Dangers
The result was unveiled at the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Designers and clients agreed that the new car, which cost Glickenhaus a cool $4 million, would be named the Ferrari P 4/5 by Pininfarina. Recently, the Ferrari P4 showed up somewhere that car enthusiasts would not like to see any exotic car, a piracy show. The Authentics Foundation, an organization founded to warn of the evils of piracy, used the fake Ferrari P4 to show just how convincing and dangerous counterfeiting has become. “Today, they [counterfeiters] are into electronics, they are into medicine, they are into food,” claimed Authentics Foundation President Timothy P. Trainer. The fake Ferrari P4 was made in Thailand and features a Subaru engine. Perhaps not a convincing copy on the road, but it is still a concern that the P4’s styling could be so easily duplicated.
Authentic Luxury Cars
Dallas car luxury car rental owner Ron Sturgeon claims, “I can’t imagine anything that would disappoint a car enthusiast more than to see a work of art like the P4 faked.” Sturgeon has used his love of fine cars to amass an impressive personal exotic car collection that he makes available through several exotic car businesses. Sturgeon formed a Fort Worth, TX exotic car club that features approximately forty luxury, exotic, and classic cars that members can use without the costs associated with purchasing or maintaining these machines. As for their authenticity, Sturgeon says, “I can guarantee you that all of my cars are genuine and much more exciting to drive than a Subaru.” Recent additions to the club’s paddock include the new 600HP Dodge Viper and a 2008 Verde Ithaca Lamborghini Gallardo.