Am I cheated??

Wikipedia suggests the 30 is F136iH Ferrari/Maserati engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - you're probably better checking with an official dealer and/or importer from the chassis no

 

If you didn't get what you thought then it comes down to proving it. But if its as you said- then yes, you got cheated and I would understand if you are upset.

 

What year?

Does it say "California 30" on the invoice?

 

Wouldn't the model year on the bill of sale and title kind of give it away?

 

What's the VIN? Seriously, I can tell you if it's a 30/30 just from the VIN.

 

2011 manufactured car? Definitely NOT a California 30 then.
The car was announced in Feb 2012 and presented at Geneva 2012

I am sorry but I think the dealer told you a FAT BIG LIE!

 

The only mod they could have done would have been to drop in a new engine. The chasis is all new with different aluminum alloys, the exhaust had mods, as well as the suspension. I would say you definitely have the original Cali which is a great car as well...just not what you paid for.

 

VIN?

 

Okay, nobody wants to a post a VIN? That's fine. I tried to avoid this, but you've left me no choice; prepared to be bored to tears:

So here goes (assuming we're talking about North American spec Californias)...

If you own a 2009 (or earlier) California 2+2, the VIN looks something like this: ZFFLJ65Ax90xxxxxx.

If you own a 2009 (or earlier) California 2-posti *, the VIN looks something like this: ZFF65LHAx90xxxxxx.
*The rarer of the two types of the Californias, this model not having two rear seats, rather in their stead is a rear shelf.

If you own a 2010 (or newer) California 2+2, the VIN looks something like this: ZFF65LJAxx0xxxxxx.

If you own a 2010 (or newer) California 2-posti, the VIN looks something like this: ZFF65LHAxx0xxxxxx.

If you own a California 30/30, the VIN looks something like this:

2+2 30/30: ZFF65TJAxx0xxxxxx
2-posti 30/30: ZFF65THAxx0xxxxxx

As you can see, the T is the operative letter you want to find in your VIN if you think, but are unsure if, you have a 30/30.

The inception of the VIN came in the late '70s, and all auto manufacturers were required to have a 17-digit VIN affixed to a car if it was coming to the states (maybe the world, I can't be sure) by 1980. US Ferrari VINs (mostly) differ from all other Ferrari VINs throughout the world. There are very few other countries where you can tell various details about a Ferrari (like the model year) through the VIN.

All Ferrari VINs start with ZFF - this because the Z represents Italy, the first F represents the manufacturer (Ferrari), and the second F represents the company (also Ferrari). So ZFF for nearly all Ferraris built in 1980 and beyond (carbureted Boxers are not included since none were built for the states), and literally just a handful Dino managed to sport full VINs (some really proactive people I guess, there's really no concrete explanation as to why 0said Dinos wear an entire 17 digits as per only the required five digits - but I'm getting waaaay ahead of myself here).

For US cars, the 10th character of the VIN tells us the model year - ergo ZFFSG17AXJ0077762 is a 1988 USA model Testarossa. The SG17 part of the VIN breaks down as follows: (S=engine type, G=safety system, e.g. seat belts, and 17 tells us it's a Testarossa); the A tells us that it's a North American model (USA VINs are indistinguishable from Canadian models), the X is the check digit (Mod math can help you solve for X (no pun intended) if you're ever in a position requiring the VIN be authenticated but you don't have access to sites like Edvar van Daalen's Red-Headed.com), and J is the year (1988); back then, A=1980, B=1981, C=1982, D=1983, E=1984, F=1985, G=1986, H=1987, J=1988, K=1989, L=1990 M=1991, N=1992, P=1993, R=1994, S=1995, T=1996, V=1997 W=1998 X=1999, Y=2000 (I, O, Q, U, Z weren't used due to the possibility that they could be confused as letters - how S was permitted into the fray remains, to this day, a mystery).

But once the alphabet was exhausted, Ferrari resorted to numbers to represent model years (at least until 2009). So in 2001, a USA 550 Maranello VIN looked like this: ZFFZS49A010xxxxxx. Once 2009 concluded, Ferrari needed to figure out how they would represent 2010 and beyond using a single character to represent the year(s) - so they resumed using letters (at least for the time being). So a 2010 599 GTB Fiorano (F1) would have a VIN that looks like: ZFF60FCA6A0xxxxxx. While it's true that the 11th character has always been a zero, and Ferrari could've incorporated said zero as a model year character, I imagine they have plans for said zero, and it remains, still to this day, a useless constant.

Let's take a moment to notice a swap in some of the post-2009 VIN characters - a swap that's exclusive only to North America. For example, the aforementioned 599 is ZFF60FCA6A0xxxxxx - but in, outside the US, the VIN, like earlier, pre-2010 VINs, would have model and market characters preceding safety system and model numbers. Ergo, in Europe, the same 599, would look like this: ZFFFD60B000xxxxxx. The shift of characters in the five-to-nine places of the VIN exists only with North American VINs (since the US is one of the few places in the world that actually has a model year, but we can save that discussion for another time).

Anyway, getting back to post-2009 VINs and the years they denote, A=2010, B=2011, C=2012, D=2013, E=2014, and the alphabet will continue, as it did in the '80s and early '90s: F=2015, G=2016, H=2017, J=2018, K=2019, L=2020, M=2021, N=2022, P=2023, R=2024, S=2025, T=2026,V=2027, W=2028, X=2029, Y=2030.

So to get to the point (you must be asleep by now), if your California doesn't at least begin with ZFF65, then look no further - odds are, you have an older, pre-2010 California and you've been duped. But if your California starts as ZFF65LJA or ZFF65LHA, then you have a California built after 2009 (but it's still not a 30/30). If you're in the US, and want to make sure your 30/30 is a 30/30, the VIN should look like this: ZFF65TJA or ZFF65TLA.

It boils down to this: unless your car was built for the Middle Eastern market, if it doesn't have a T in the VIN, it's not a 30/30.

 

Was it originally a UK car ? As you say enjoy it for what it is

 

Make the dealer take it back on principle. Silver lining: you got to drive a Ferrari for free because the dealer was greedy and unethical. They probably get away with this stuff constantly--you should not feel bad to make sure they don't take advantage of you! If you really love the car and want to keep it--they should be refunding the difference in price between the two cars at the very least.

If they don't take it back or offer a reasonable solution. Gather up the evidence and tell them you are going to name and shame them with the evidence online here. There are plenty of places to buy a California--I am sure many here would prefer not dealing with a dealership that does that.

 

You are happy that the dealer sold you a California pretending it to be a Cali 30? I dont know what is the market diff between both but i wouldnt let that slip.

 

Great detail 143482

 

It's not a 30/30, it's a RHD 2+2. If you paid for a 30/30, you need to go back and either get a 30/30, or get your money back. You should also post the name of the dealer so others can steer clear of doing future business with that dealer. This is terrible.

 

If it's a used car dealer I would not be surprised at all that either they did not know the difference or intentionally said it to sell it. Without proper records from the dealer there is no way to tell. But, you MUST have smelled something up before you bought the car. I cannot believe a hand written note didn't raise a giant red flag.

I agree with others and that if the invoice says Ca 30 and what you have isn't, demand your money back and go elsewhere. I'm sure it doesn't so I would demand the paperwork that it was factory upgraded and the invoice showing it so. If they can't, I'd ask for my money back.

Also, it would REALLY HELP to tell us at least where the car is located because Euro dealers get their cars a model year earlier than the US counterparts.

I think what you bought was a regular CA and someone either updated it to 30 specs or just lied that they did. Personally, I cannot see how you can complain when you knew it was fishy with this hand written note and bought the car anyway without doing your research.

Let the buyer beware. A few keystrokes on a computer reveals all.

Good luck with the car.

 

Not sure I agree in the sense that this is not a typical "used car" dealer. From my understanding, this car was bought at a Ferrari Dealer.

Specifically, this would make the car an "approved certified pre-owned" Ferrari. On Ferrari's website there is a section dedicated to this and how extensive the checks and certification is. With text like:

"This comprehensive and detailed examination by an Authorized Ferrari Dealer is conducted by factory trained technicians, skilled in the assessment of Ferraris of all ages and histories."

As such, although I agree a buyer should beware, when purchasing an official approved and certified Ferrari car from a Ferrari dealer--which you undoubtedly pay more for--there is a reasonable expectation of higher service and standards than if you buy the car from Bob's used car sales. Especially given "Bob" can deny being a Ferrari expert while a Ferrari dealer will have a hard time doing that.

On the hand writing--just because it is written in hand does not make it any less binding than if it way typed up as far as I know. If they represented it falsely---they are in the wrong and they should pay. Period.

 

Where does he say anything about an official dealer? He says "Ferrari dealer". That could mean a lot of things. He doesn't even say what country he's in.

If that's the case and it IS an official dealer, why is he even asking us? Just go to the dealer, ask for the documentation of the upgrades or ask for his money back.

Simple.

What I don't understand is why someone would buy a car with this known weird red flag and not ask for documentation of the upgrade before buying, and then come here asking for opinions.

Very strange.

 

Be transparent, tell all, so that somebody else will not get ripped off.

This sounds like Refined Marques.

You know, they have already sold 4 LaFs and 10 P1s. (Sarcasm font.)

 

Caveat emptor!

 

I take "Ferrari Dealer" to mean the same things as if someone says "ford Dealer" "Chevy Dealer" "McLaren Dealer" "BMW Dealer" etc--that is an official dealer. It is news to me that it could mean a lot of things...

If it was in fact an official dealer. Just don't think dealer putting something in hand writing is a red flag personally. Writing by typewriter and by pen are both legally binding.

 

Hey I bought a red Ferrari. Turns out the car is red but it's a Chevy - am I cheated? I mean, the Chevy is nice and stuff.