Not for U.S. sale; Ferrari makes its case to block imports of gray market 360s and 550s.(Brief Article)

What makes a foreign Ferrari different from a U.S. model? It depends on whom you ask.

Importers of so-called gray market Ferraris say the expensive supercars today are ``world cars'' built for a global marketplace. They say a Ferrari intended for sale outside the States is capable of meeting, with only a handful of modifications, tougher U.S. safety and emissions standards.

``I would think there is no reason a European car can't be imported to the U.S.,'' said Dick Fritz, who's been bringing in gray market cars for 25 years through his company, Amerispec, in Danbury, Connecticut.

In the past, Ferrari hasn't taken issue with gray market importers. The company filed only limited objections and almost looked the other way as European-specification cars have been brought into the States and ``federalized'' for crash safety and emissions standards.

All that changed in late June when Ferrari took the unprecedented step of asking the U.S. Department of Transportation to halt importation of 2001 model Ferrari 360 Modenas and 550 Maranellos until the company could prepare its objections. On Aug. 10, the final day for public comment on the issue, Ferrari filed a six-page response-with promises of reams of additional technical documentation to follow-stating gray market imports differ from their U.S. counterparts in hundreds of ways and cannot be readily modified to meet U.S. requirements. In effect, for

the first time ever, Ferrari is asking the federal government to deny the importation of Ferraris not originally intended for the United States.

David Wertheim, vice president and general counsel for Ferrari North America, said the petition filed with the DOT states that Ferrari believes 234 parts, with a suggested retail price of $56,584, are required to bring a non-U.S. 2001 model 550 into federal compliance. A total of 306 parts with a retail cost of $68,021 are needed for a 2001 model 360, Ferrari states.