In 1984, visionaries Mark Goyette and Neil Glassmoyer embarked on a remarkable project: a one-off fiberglass replica of the iconic Ferrari 250GT California (1957-1963). Though initially constructed for a private customer, this car served as the prototype for the vehicles they planned to produce through their fledgling company, Modena Design & Development, based in El Cajon, CA.
Their craftsmanship caught the eye of Hollywood in the spring of 1985. John Hughes, the celebrated director and writer, was in the midst of producing “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and needed a stand-in for the Ferrari he wanted the characters to drive. Given the prohibitive cost of renting or using an actual Ferrari, Hughes found Goyette and Glassmoyer’s prototype to be the perfect solution.
Despite the prototype being unavailable for loan due to its sale to a customer, an agreement was reached: the studio would lease a complete car, purchase a partially complete car, and acquire a rolling shell. Goyette and Glassmoyer undertook the challenge, working tirelessly to build three cars under a tight deadline. Their efforts paid off, and all three vehicles were ready for their film debut in Chicago by the fall of 1985.
The film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” premiered in June 1986, immortalizing the Modena Design replica with the memorable line: “My father spent three years restoring this car. It is his love. It is his passion. It is his fault he didn’t lock the garage….”
This particular car, identified as #50, is believed to be the last of approximately 50 units produced by Modena Design, including the first three built for the movie. It boasts an impressive 2,400 miles on the odometer and comes with an original certificate of origin, bearing VIN 08K89G302T0050. The car features a striking red exterior over a beige leather interior and is powered by a high-performance Ford 289 V-8 Hoehns and Eanes Nascar-type racing engine, 4 48mm Weber carburators, delivering 375-400 HP as tested on a dynamometer. It is equipped with a Borg/Warner 5-speed transmission and built on a semi-monocoque steel racing structure with unibody construction, incorporating hand-laid fiberglass reinforced with steel cowl bracing.
Performance features include power-assisted rack and pinion steering, vented front and rear disc brakes, a sophisticated rear suspension system with four trailing links and a Panhard rod, adjustable coil-over Alden racing shocks, and rear unequal-length A-arms. The car also boasts a Nardi steering wheel and Daytona knock-off hubs, making it a welcomed addition at local Ferrari events.
What sets this car apart is not only its status as potentially the final car built by Modena Design but also its unique ownership history. It was purchased by a French collector in 1990 from The Fine Car Store in San Diego, CA for 74,000$, and imported to France. Driven from the port of Le Havre to his residence in the south of France, the car accrued its very low mileage of 2,400 miles due to its inability to become road-legal in France.
Recently returned to America after a major service and outfitted with four new BF Goodrich tires, the car was driven from New York to New Hampshire. It comes with extensive documentation, including pre- and post-sale correspondence, import documents from French customs, a huge list of all the parts used for the build, and numerous photographs of the new car in The Fine Car Store showroom. This all-original, never-restored vehicle drives perfectly, just as it did when new.
