Tech - News
Justin Bieber's Ferrari Blacklisting Explained
By DAVE MCQUILLING
High-end vehicle manufacturers can be highly strung, and if you offend them even slightly, there is a good chance they will never work with you again. Apparently, Justin Bieber is the latest celeb to feel the wrath of the prancing horse, and it's all to do with the time he spent as a Ferrari 458 Italia owner from 2011 to 2017.
If Bieber were trying to fall out of favor with Ferrari, he succeeded. In a startling display of complacency, Bieber misplaced his $200,000 Italian supercar, forgetting he had driven his Ferrari 458 to the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills before going clubbing with friends. The vehicle was recovered almost a month later safe and sound at the hotel.
Maybe to keep closer tabs on his car, Bieber worked with West Coast Customs to modify his 458 Italia with 20” three-piece rims, a Liberty Walk wide-body kit, and a blue chrome wrap; he even had the shop switch the steering wheel’s original Ferrari badge. The automaker is fine with owners customizing its cars, but West Coast Customs wasn’t one of Ferrari’s approved shops.
When it sells individuals a car, Ferrari is known to issue a contract featuring non-flipping clauses; demands include the car not being sold within a year of purchase, and the owner having to notify Ferrari of any plans to sell the car so the company has the option of purchasing the car back. When Bieber sold his Ferrari 458 Italia, he broke this major rule.
Officially, the "blacklist" doesn't even exist, however, the bar for buying one of Ferrari’s limited runs is set exceedingly high, and anyone who has offended Ferrari's sensibilities is unlikely to make the cut. If Bieber wants another one, he can more than likely get one, just not from Ferrari. He’ll have to delve into the second-hand market for his next prancing horse.