Ferrari Program Enlists Owners to Combat Counterfeits

Ferrari has launched a new initiative asking its owners and fans to help identify and report counterfeit products, from cars to merchandise, in an effort to maintain the authenticity and value of the brand.

Classic Ferraris are among the most valuable cars globally, sometimes fetching tens of millions of dollars. This high value has attracted counterfeiters, prompting Ferrari to take drastic measures, including crushing fake cars into cubes.

“Ferrari, being one of the strongest luxury brands, is highly susceptible to counterfeiting and unauthorized use of its distinctive signs, not just in the automotive sector but also in fashion and merchandising,” a Ferrari spokesperson explained in an email to CNN.

To combat this, Ferrari has launched a program involving Ferrari owners and fans—referred to as Ferraristi—to help identify fakes. The program targets counterfeit items ranging from cars and golf carts to Ferrari-branded kitchen appliances. The spokesperson noted that over a thousand notifications have been received, allowing Ferrari to take action against numerous businesses selling counterfeit products.

Although Ferrari did not disclose specifics about the companies or products investigated or destroyed, they have set up a dedicated web page for tip-offs on counterfeit goods. In return, those providing viable tips are promised an undefined “complimentary Ferrari gadget,” presumably worth more due to its Ferrari branding.

Counterfeit merchandise is often produced by placing unlicensed Ferrari logos on products. However, creating a convincing fake Ferrari car is more complex. Brian Rabold, vice president of automotive intelligence at Hagerty, noted that cases of collector car fraud are rare but not unheard of.

“Given the value of these cars, there is enough financial incentive to tempt unethical people to misrepresent or fake a car,” Rabold said. Despite this, Ferrari collectors are typically knowledgeable about the brand and its cars, making it difficult to pass off a fake.

“Ferrari collectors generally have considerable knowledge about the brand and its cars, especially the most valuable ones,” the spokesperson added. Collectors also tend to know who owns the rarest models, making it unlikely that a replica could be mistaken for an original.

Replicas that look like Ferraris but are not presented as genuine are more common. Ferrari has taken legal action against companies making or presenting such replicas, although not always successfully. As a warning, Ferrari published a photo of a red car squished into a metal cube. This car was a fake 1957 Ferrari built for the 2023 Michael Mann film “Ferrari.” With Ferrari’s permission, all prop cars were destroyed post-filming to prevent them from entering the collector car market.