Buyer Beware - 550 Maranello, ZFFZS49AXY0124571

the car was either imported illegally or stolen...... what else could it be?

 

Even if imported illegally, why would someone get rid of the original VIN? I believe stolen is the only answer. When seller says they checked and it doesn’t show as stolen anywhere, he is checking the current VIN, so obviously nothing would show, but if they checked the original, now removed, VIN the result would be different. Thing is, how do you find out what the original VIN was?

 

i look fwd to the coming SCM article and lawsuits....

someone should find the real car in europe

 

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The USA VIN Carfax is clean. I am now checking to see if the European VIN shows anything...

 

When something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Nothing for nothing in this world guys. 139K for that car. Something fishy.

 

FNA or Ferrari corporate should have the ability to check all the VINs?

 

My 'guess,' if a serious issue comes up everyone involved turns around and taps the previous seller over the shoulder and sends a certified return receipt letter.

 

Yes, and they do not release / sell / provide VIN plates in almost any circumstance without LOTS of paperwork/supporting documents/back and forth with FNA.

 

i believe i recall the dealer telling me the VIN plate was from FNA...

nowadays they can be fabbed up

 

An extremely rare red gated manual 550 with the 5.5 litre V12 engine, eh. The VIN shenanigans are rare, and you get some relatively rare UAE sand in every crevice, but otherwise, buyer beware.

 

Darius- Yup, unlike the other 3082 550s.

 

Where exactly is it and who exactly is selling it?
Kind of scary that CarFax didn’t catch it.. what good is it if it can’t recognize a fake vin?

 

Long story short - carfax is only worth the value you put on it…..we had a group of 6 identical “executives” cars and the only difference was color. One was in a major accident and the same dealer serviced all them and the accident somehow got assigned to the wrong one.

 

In the other direction, there have been a lot of US spec Ferraris for sale in Europe over the past few years. Many have been imported shortly before sale, and few purchasers in Europe know about the existence of carfax in the US. So a car could have all kinds of problems on carfax in the US and be sold here.

It looks like carfax isn't perfect but it's much better than anything we have for cars in Europe. Specifically in the EU market for LHD cars. If you are buying a French delivered Ferrari in Germany that spent much of its life in Spain, for example, you will have no reliable indicator about whether it has been crashed, even badly, or stolen and recovered, or anything much at all. Cars have been spun into metal barriers, flipped and rebuilt and nobody knows - and worse.

 

Modern generation alignment machines help a lot.. lasers on the wheels type.. can help spot hidden accidents and frame issues. I use on all my cars before I purchase. Saved me once from a very nice looking Ferrari with an unreported accident.

 

Ummm...

You can't add or subtract vin.numbers in most states without the supervision of MVD. Now... Does anyone follow the rules? No. But... You are supposed to do it under their supervision.

Now... The other thing that is total BS from their listing is that the car came over from Dubai without a vin.

How did the car leave the country without a vin? You must obtain an export certificate which is provided by the police departments there. No export certificate... Then it's not leaving.

Also... You must declare it to customs... No vin... Likely likely likely zero entry.

Then you have your state inspection for title work... No vin? No pass.

At any one of these steps... A car with no vin would be subject to confiscation.


Now can a car slip through the cracks... Sure... But I will almost garuntee you that car didn't leave Dubai without an inspection and export certificate.


The car had a con. ****ery is afoot

 

As I had mentioned when I first posted in this thread eons ago….It should just be a simple check to confirm that all the Vin tags are identical throughout the chassis. It would be bizarre that they were all either altered or missing

 

the chassis VIN are MIA

 

Years ago a 1991 or 1992 red Diablo was brought over in pieces, by container/containers. I assume the car has a VIN #. The nipple turn signals are located in the front quarter panels and the clock was in KM. The owner drove the car with a paper plate.

No clue how you could legally sell the vehicle to another buyer. Parting it out is the best option.


A Diablo GT/R race car was also occasionally driven around the street with a paper plate. This car never had any VIN.

 

So many cars have been imported as parts and "they get away with it" but you can not take all the parts and reassemble into a car. That is fraud and Homeland security if they catch a wiff even 20 years ago will confiscate and crush if nessecary even if it's got through 11 owner. They do not care. It was imported under false pretenses. Automobiles are automobiles. Parts are parts.

Now the Lambo probably was running a plate from a different car or they got a temp plate issued on a different vin.

That kind of dumb stuff I don't have a problem with when people take track cars and drive them to cars and coffee that's a violation of state law... A slap on the wrist... A fine and whatever.

It's the rolling disaster of a car being imported illegally and the potential innocent victim hanging on to the hot potato that is not cool.

 

Well that is interesting…

 

I have this car in an estate I am liquidating. It now garaged in California. I don’t know much about Ferrari’s or titling. I understand from speaking with a California dealer that this would be difficult to sell and title in California and it looks from this thread like there is some history. Is this car a dead loss or is there someway to sell it legally? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Welcome to the website Carl.

Selling should not be a problem...the issue would be titling as that may spook off many (most buyers), especially given a simple google of the VIN leads directly to this thread.

GL, unfortunately as alluded to its a bit of a hot potato.

 

I can't imagine selling it in CA....impossible is about right.....even if you had a CA title you would have to produce a smog cert.

Does the car have any title?

If the car doesn't have a title then it could always be sold on Bill of Sale and a buyer could go the bonded title route

If the car doesn't have a title then it could also be sold "for off road use only" i.e. as a race car or for parts?

Carl....maybe a refresher on where approximately the car is located, and the particulars could garner "buyer attention" from one of us?

If you had a link with photos or video that would be great. Thx

 

I don't know how you could ethically sell it anywhere. The VIN isn't even valid, as mentioned earlier in this thread. The check digit is wrong.