Ever wondered how an '80s classic trashed a car worth millions? That gleaming red Ferrari in Ferris Bueller's Day Off seemed destined for disaster the moment it appeared on screen. The spectacular crash shocked audiences, but Hollywood had a clever trick up its sleeve.

It's time to peek under the hood of this cinematic illusion.

The Million-Dollar Illusion

When Ferris Bueller convinced his neurotic best friend Cameron to "borrow" his father's prized 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder for a day of adventure in Chicago, moviegoers collectively gasped. After all, even in 1986, when the film was released, the Ferrari 250 GT California was already considered automotive royalty.

With only 56 ever produced, the car was worth hundreds of thousands then—and now fetches upwards of $15–20 million at auction. So how did director John Hughes manage to send such an irreplaceable piece of automotive history crashing backward through a glass wall and into a ravine? Simple answer: he didn't.

What appeared on screen wasn't an actual Ferrari but rather a meticulously crafted replica created by Modena Design and Development, a small California-based company founded by car enthusiasts Neil Glassmoyer and Mark Goyette. Hughes discovered their Modena GT Spyder California in a car magazine and immediately changed his script.

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Anatomy Of A Fake Ferrari

The Modena replicas were engineering marvels in their own right, despite not being genuine Ferraris. Built on a rectangular steel tube frame designed by accomplished Indy car fabricator Bob Webb, the cars had fiberglass bodies that carefully mimicked the Ferrari's iconic lines.

While a genuine Ferrari 250 GT California housed a 3.0-liter V12 engine producing around 275 horsepower, the Modena replicas packed a serious American punch. Instead of Italian engineering, the functional Modena replicas employed a Ford V8 engine—most commonly a 302 cubic inch (5.0-liter) power plant.

The cars used components from various vehicles: a windshield from a Fiat Spider 124, taillights from a Volkswagen Type 3, and instruments from a Jaguar E-Type. 

The Crash That Launched A Lawsuit

The most memorable scene in the film, when Cameron has his breakdown and kicks the car off its jacks, sending it flying through the glass wall of his father's modernist garage and into the ravine below, was filmed using the specially built non-running shell. 

The film's success, however, brought unwanted attention to Modena Design. Ferrari, notoriously protective of its brand identity, filed a lawsuit against Modena and other replica manufacturers for trademark infringement shortly after the movie's release. 

Despite their legal troubles, the Modena replicas from Ferris Bueller's Day Off have achieved legitimate collector status in their own right. While no priceless Ferraris were harmed in the making of this beloved '80s classic, the film succeeded in creating the perfect illusion—and in the process, elevated a humble replica to iconic status. 

As Ferris himself might say, “If you have the means, I recommend picking one up.”

Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Car Crash Scene by NeT8000