The Truth Behind Ferrari's Celebrity Blacklists

Ferrari is infamous for its treatment of its own customers when those customers do not follow the rules set out by Maranello. On numerous occasions, the Prancing Horse has even sued its own patrons, and it's because of this sort of reputation that people like Jay Leno have no interest in buying Ferrari's products. This kind of customer care has had a light shone on it once more following a report from an Italian publication that claimed pop star Justin Bieber was blacklisted by Ferrari after he added a widebody kit and a wild wrap to his Ferrari 458 Italia, and sold another Ferrari in his first year of ownership. But is Ferrari really that strict?

According to Spanish tabloid Marca, Ferrari has not completely banned Bieber, although the singer did breach many of the automaker's conditions of ownership, and this did result in "some bans" for the celebrity. Marca goes on to say that Ferrari claims it "did not veto any customer" and that - although Bieber and the Kardashians and various other celebrities have broken the rules - most of these individuals will simply not be able to purchase special-edition models. This is nothing new, as Ferrari only allows its most loyal customers to buy special editions like the Daytona SP3 if they already own certain significant Ferraris and do not own a single Lamborghini. Kim Kardashian has offended Ferrari in the past and has a crudely wrapped Lamborghini Urus.

"Ferrari reserves the right to decide on special editions," read a recent statement from the Italian firm.

What this means is that Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian, and any other celebrities that are seen to have disrespected the Ferrari brand can still go out there and purchase a regular series-produced Fezza like the new 296 GTB or the F8 Tributo. This makes sense since people with the wealth of these celebrities would easily be able to get their hands on a "regular" Ferrari anyway, registering it in the name of a family member, through a company, or at a secondhand supercar dealership. By allowing these celebs to continue buying so-called everyday Ferraris, the great Italian brand can continue to rake in money without diluting the image of its truly special cars, which serve as halos for the brand and show what it is truly capable of.