The Legendary Ferrari Daytona From Miami Vice Wasn’t A Ferrari At All

Al Mardekian was a “gray-market” importer of unique automobiles who initially offered two duplicate Ferraris to the manufacturing company, costing $49,000 every. One was labeled “Car 4,” whereas the opposite, “Car 1,” turned the stunt automobile after the pilot episode.

So, if these two automobiles weren’t true Ferraris … what had been they?

According to Volo Auto Museum, “Car 1” was a 1976 Corvette chassis, and “Car 4” was from a 1981 Chevrolet Corvette C3. Customized fiberglass physique panels constructed by Tom McBurnie from specialty automobile producer McBurnie Coachcraft had been connected to make them appear to be a Daytona Spyder. Ironically, an actual Spyder appeared within the pilot episode the place Sonny learn a newspaper within the automobile. The whole scene solely lasted 10 seconds, and the automobile remained immobile the entire time. Volo Auto Museum reported it is recognized to be genuine based mostly on the automobile’s options.

The Spyder met its explosive end in Season 3 and by no means returned to the present, not as a result of the producers needed it to occur, however as a result of Ferrari sued Universal Studios and Tom McBurnie for utilizing a duplicate Spyder. Part of the settlement included eliminating the car through a plotline within the present. 

This conciliatory act should have mended fences for the Italian automobile company, as a result of it finally gave Universal two brand-new 1986 Ferrari Testarossas to make use of within the present. According to Motortrend, the rumor is that Enzo Ferrari himself was the one who needed the brand new automobiles be gifted to the studio.