Ferrari didn’t allow Miami Vice to use their cars, because they are – famously – dicks when it comes to their brand protection. The producers decided they wanted Ferraris anyway, and commissioned Corvette-based replicas to create their desired movie cars. We’re not sure who had the last laugh there, the Miami Vice production company or Ferrari, who received marketing for free without even having to lend out a couple of cars.
This neat replica of a replica of a Ferrari Daytona Spider in Miami Vice black on Magnolia spec comes from previous bloggee Jonathan Elliott, and a rather splendid job he’s done too. See more at the link above.
Of course, Ferrari were aghast about the Corraris. So much so that they sued the show. The resolution of that lawsuit was that the Daytona replicas were no longer made (and were supposed to be destroyed) and in exchange, Ferrari provided two brand new Testarossas free of charge.