Nep Ferrari's mogen niet
Geplaatst: 02 mar 2008, 09:34
Fake Ferrari gang caught
[img:350:250]http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/9863 ... 4bdal5.jpg[/img]
A gang of rogue mechanics who made fake Ferraris out of other cars has been smashed by Italian police.
The gang knocked out the counterfeits based on Pontiacs, Mercedes and Toyotas at a bargain £15,000 each.
Police have confiscated 14 fake Ferrari Modena 360s -- seven sold and seven under construction -- in an operation reaching from Palermo to Milan, said Guido Geremia head of the Italian financial police unit that led the investigation. Eight people are under investigation.
Investigators do not know how many of the cars have been sold in the past, but Mr Geremia said the buyers knew they were fakes and were clearly seeking to impress less-knowing neighbours. "That is the only reason," he said.
The ring built copies of Ferrari bodies over the original car's engine, drive train and suspension. "It was done very well, they were very skilled," Mr Geremia said.
The financial police, who lead Italy's fight against counterfeiters cashing in on the peninsula's reputation for quality in everything from handbags to prosciutto, launched the Ferrari investigation six months ago.
Mr Geremia said they were aided by internet sites where the cars were being offered.
The 360 Modena went out of production in 2004, the current second-hand price for one of the last is around £75,000 in Italy.
A Ferrari spokeswoman said it was not the first time that the brand has been copied and that they monitored websites for evidence of fakes -- even coming across videos of body shops reworking other cars into Ferraris.
"Ferrari is a product that maintains its value over time and of course we try to protect our clients who buy the real thing. When a car is not official, it does not have the characteristics it should have for the brand," she said.
http://www.octane-magazine.com/news.php?seenews=663
[img:350:250]http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/9863 ... 4bdal5.jpg[/img]
A gang of rogue mechanics who made fake Ferraris out of other cars has been smashed by Italian police.
The gang knocked out the counterfeits based on Pontiacs, Mercedes and Toyotas at a bargain £15,000 each.
Police have confiscated 14 fake Ferrari Modena 360s -- seven sold and seven under construction -- in an operation reaching from Palermo to Milan, said Guido Geremia head of the Italian financial police unit that led the investigation. Eight people are under investigation.
Investigators do not know how many of the cars have been sold in the past, but Mr Geremia said the buyers knew they were fakes and were clearly seeking to impress less-knowing neighbours. "That is the only reason," he said.
The ring built copies of Ferrari bodies over the original car's engine, drive train and suspension. "It was done very well, they were very skilled," Mr Geremia said.
The financial police, who lead Italy's fight against counterfeiters cashing in on the peninsula's reputation for quality in everything from handbags to prosciutto, launched the Ferrari investigation six months ago.
Mr Geremia said they were aided by internet sites where the cars were being offered.
The 360 Modena went out of production in 2004, the current second-hand price for one of the last is around £75,000 in Italy.
A Ferrari spokeswoman said it was not the first time that the brand has been copied and that they monitored websites for evidence of fakes -- even coming across videos of body shops reworking other cars into Ferraris.
"Ferrari is a product that maintains its value over time and of course we try to protect our clients who buy the real thing. When a car is not official, it does not have the characteristics it should have for the brand," she said.
http://www.octane-magazine.com/news.php?seenews=663
echt ongelofelijk dat iemand zo ver gaat 8)
lijkt wel een lego auto 
