An iconic Ferrari has been recognised by an Italian court as a work of art, in an judgment that will protect it from copies. The Ferrari 250 GTO is the world’s most valuable classic car, with one example selling at auction last year for $48 million (£38 million).
Just 36 of the models were made, between 1962 and 1964. All 36 are believed to survive and each now has its own history.
An Italian tribunal in Bologna has recognised the model not only as vintage, but as a work of art that is entirely original and must not be copied.
“It’s the first time in Italy that a car has been recognised as a work of art,” a Ferrari spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph from the company’s headquarters in Maranello in northern Italy. “It’s not just its beauty that makes it special – it also has a long racing history.”
The judgment was given by the tribunal in Bologna after Ferrari said that a company in Modena was planning to produce 250 GTO replicas.
Ferrari lodged a petition to have the design of the classic car officially recognised.
The production, commercialisation and promotion of the model belonged solely to Ferrari, the court said. Classic car dealers have in the past tried to copy 250 GTOs by cannibalising parts and bodywork from similar models.
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