Why This Butt-Faced Ferrari Sold For Close To Half A Million Dollars

By  Raphael Orlove

The modern Ferrari California isn't just one of the ugliest cars Ferrari has ever made; it's one of the ugliest cars ever put on sale. It is grossly ill-proportioned and strange. And there's one reason why this one sold for $438,478.

Technically it sold for €393,360 as the Artcurial auctioneers themselves claim.

They've been live-reporting the lot-by-lot sales of their vehicles in Paris' Retromobile auctions.

The reason is simple: this car has a manual transmission. More to the point, it is one of only two manual Ferrari Californias ever sold, as my former coworker Travis Okulski reported at RoadandTrack.com today and years ago.

I myself would never want to be caught dead in such a "shitbox soft top for soft cocks," manual or no. Now I have a justification for my snobbery; I couldn't afford to buy one even if I wanted to.

Photo Credits: Artcurial Motorcars. See the full listing and more pictures on their website here.

Contact the author at raphael@jalopnik.com.

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