Celebrities blacklisted by Ferrari for breaking the rules

Customization has become the alpha and omega of the exceptional car, and Ferrari is no exception to the rule. However, personalization doesn't mean doing everything and anything, and some have paid a high price for it by being dropped from orders, since notoriety is no guarantee of immunity! Ferrari is one of the most fastidious manufacturers in this respect, because joining the Prancing Horse community is like joining a religion, and beware of lost sheep, who will be anathematized!

It's true that Ferrari has gradually moved away from its historic conservatism, as when it imposed red as the only color on the F40. The prancing horse has also opened its "Tailor Made" customization department, which lets you customize your Ferrari as you wish: colors, rims, upholstery, materials and even decals, almost everything can be adjusted to suit the desires of the customer, who pays a lot of money for a Ferrari that's unique in the world. For the manufacturer, it's a guarantee of very high margins on every vehicle sold, but also to thwart desires for out-of-control and zany customizations. In 2024, Ferrari generated nearly 1.3 billion from its customization program, representing around 20 % of its total revenues, while having turned down requests deemed too extravagant.

Driving deviations

Ferrari stands for prestige, with a deliberately limited production run, but also for investment, aimed at a public of initiates. Nevertheless, money isn't everything, and the Italian brand wants to maintain a good image by imposing ethics on its customers. A driver's inappropriate behavior can send out the wrong signals and damage the brand's reputation. Attitude, as much as wallet, is therefore paramount, and one slip-up can have far-reaching consequences. This applies to many aspects of the Ferrari world, and codes are not to be trifled with. Lewis Hamilton has kept his outfits to a minimum since becoming a Ferrari driver, and followed the formal dress code for his official induction, whereas he was much freer on this subject in his previous Mercedes team.

Likewise, words must be weighed up. Alain Prost was sacked by Ferrari after the 1991 Japanese GP for denouncing the heavy steering of his single-seater and comparing his driving to that of a lorry driver, even though his comments, which were played up by an Italian press hostile to the Frenchman, served above all as a pretext for breaking the contract.

Moderates and radicals

Getting back to styling, if the Prancing Horse catalog can't satisfy their wildest desires, some may still be tempted to opt for customization by an external Ferrari tuner. There are two schools of thought in this field: the "soft" and measured Novitec school, where modifications are discreet, rather subtle, without really altering the original design. The other, more subversive school is that of Mansory or Keyvany: here, conventions are flouted, carbon is used in spades, aero kits are deployed that would make Optimus Prime green with envy, and retina-popping upholstery is installed. We invite you to admire the Mansory PugnatorMansory 812 Stallone, Purosangue Keyvany or the F40 "Widebody" from Japan's Liberty Walk.

And that's where the drama begins, because Ferrari doesn't take kindly to those who want to turn their Ferrari into a modern art "masterpiece"! If you're tempted by the experience, the blacklist prevents you from buying a new Ferrari, because the Maranello-based manufacturer has the rare privilege of being able to choose its customers! You won't be able to order an exclusive model, and the exclusion may also lead to you being barred from servicing and the invalidation of your warranty. On the other hand, the brand cannot prevent you from buying a car, even if you are blacklisted by Ferrari, under the name of a third party or privately. The Ferrari blacklist does not affect private transactions between two people or the sale of used Ferraris. Still, it's a good thing.

A wide variety of motifs

Several celebrities have been "excommunicated" for breaking the rules.

By repainting his 458 Italia F1 model in electric blue and affixing black rims that weren't from the Ferrari catalog, before selling it at auction, Justin Bieber found himself banned in 2017 from the potential customer list. More recently, Canadian DJ and producer Deadmau5 dared to customize his Ferrari 458 Italia with a Nyan Cat theme (sky blue, rainbow piping and emoticon motifs) and pink brake calipers, while renaming it "Purrari". Ferrari sent him a letter of formal notice, demanding that the car be returned to its original condition. Although Deadmau5 complied, Ferrari banned him from buying any further Purrari cars.

Other stars have also been dropped from orders, but for financial reasons, prohibited uses or statements that could tarnish the manufacturer's image: Nicolas Cage? Incidents of late payment and the sale of an Enzo for less than it was worth. Boxer Floyd Mayweather? Sold a car less than a year after purchase. Philippe Plein? Used Ferraris for advertising purposes without the brand's consent. 50 Cent? He publicly criticized the brand on social networks, after suffering a battery problem and broadcasting images of the tow on social networks. Journalist Chris Harris was banned from driving Ferraris after writing a scathing article about Ferrari's alleged car loan system. In short, he accused Ferrari of building one-off test cars for the media, unrepresentative of the vehicles available for sale.

Ferrari is no stranger to such measures. Tom Cruise himself found himself banned by Bugatti after a premiere of "Mission: Impossible III", where he had...difficulty opening the door of his Bugatti Veyron for his former partner, Katie Holmes. The widely publicized incident was seen as bad publicity for the brand. Bugatti has also blacklisted Floyd Mayweather, a regular in this genre, for allegedly selling a Bugatti for less than its true value. Lamborghini, on the other hand, seems less strict about extravagant customization.

Koenig, the first provocateur

Getting back to extreme modifications, of which Mansory is now the benchmark, Ferrari's epidermal reactions are not so recent. In the '80s, the decade that really saw the tuning phenomenon take off, particularly in Germany, a certain Willy Koenig specialized in engine and aero modifications, especially of Ferraris. A former racing driver, he was even German mountain champion in 1962, in a 250 GT SWB, which earned him a warm welcome at Maranello. But twenty years later, he was to offend the Commendatore by outrageously modifying the cars of the prancing horse.

Among the "Koenig Specials", the craziest project was a modified version of the Testarossa, presented at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show. It produced 710 bhp, 320 bhp more than a standard Testarossa, before being beaten in 1990 by the Competition Evolution, announced at 1,000 bhp and claiming a top speed of 370 km/h! To achieve this, Koenig fitted high-performance exhausts, special pistons, modified cylinder heads, reset carburetors and twin-turbo conversions, not to mention ostentatious aero kits and interior modifications.

Koenig's reputation irritated Enzo Ferrari so much that he issued a formal notice ordering him to remove all the prancing-horse badges from his cars once the modifications had been received, as they no longer considered them a Ferrari. Magazines were at pains to avoid any visual reference to the Italian brand when publishing an article on a Koenig. For example, Top Gear magazine had to obscure an owner's F50 badge to avoid legal action, and a car tested by Road & Track bore an alternative rectangular KS badge on a yellow background in place of the prancing horse badge on the front.

Ferrari still seems to be the most demanding manufacturer when it comes to the freedom to customize its cars. While some will see this as a restriction of freedom and an infringement of property rights, others will point to decency, good taste and the need to respect an object as precious and elaborate as a prancing horse racing car.