The Miami Vice Ferraris: The True Story Behind Crockett’s Iconic Cars
Originally published by MyClassicGarage on December 8, 2015. Updated and expanded by Volo Museum 9/16/26.
Few television shows have ever fused cars, fashion, music and atmosphere as completely as Miami Vice. From its neon-soaked streets and pastel suits to its unmistakable soundtrack, the NBC crime drama did not simply portray the 1980s—it helped define them.
At the center of that style was Detective James “Sonny” Crockett’s car. First came the low, black Ferrari Daytona Spyder seen during the show’s earliest seasons. Later, Crockett slipped behind the wheel of a bright white Ferrari Testarossa that became one of television’s most recognizable sports cars.
The story behind those cars is every bit as dramatic as the series itself. It involves rare Ferraris, Corvette-based replicas, a lawsuit, cars donated by Ferrari, custom stunt engineering and one long-lost screen-used vehicle that was eventually authenticated and preserved by Volo Museum.
Miami Vice Changed the Look of Television
Created by Anthony Yerkovich and executive-produced by Michael Mann, Miami Vice starred Don Johnson as James “Sonny” Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs. The detectives worked undercover in a heightened version of Miami filled with speedboats, nightclubs, dangerous criminals and exotic cars.
The series aired for five seasons from 1984 through 1989, with an additional episode later broadcast in 1990. Its cinematic photography, contemporary music and fashion-forward production design made it feel unlike a conventional police drama. Songs from artists such as Phil Collins, Tina Turner and Jackson Browne were woven into scenes in ways that anticipated the visual language of modern music videos.
The cars were not background decoration. They helped establish Crockett’s undercover identity as a high-rolling player who could move convincingly through Miami’s criminal underworld. For viewers, they also supplied a weekly dose of automotive fantasy.
Was Crockett’s Black Ferrari Daytona Real?
The black sports car associated with the first two seasons looked like a Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spyder, one of the most desirable open-top Ferraris of its era. A genuine Daytona Spyder paired dramatic Italian styling with a 4.4-liter V12 producing roughly 350 horsepower. Because relatively few factory Spyders were built, using authentic examples for repeated television driving and stunt work would have been extremely expensive.
The answer was a pair of convincing replicas. Although a genuine Daytona reportedly appeared briefly in the pilot, the cars audiences watched in regular driving and action scenes were built on Chevrolet Corvette chassis and fitted with custom fiberglass bodies. The result had the exotic silhouette the production wanted, while remaining practical enough for the demands of episodic television.
The principal black replica carried Florida license plate ZAQ178 on screen. Its low profile, wire wheels and aggressive stance were perfectly suited to Crockett’s carefully constructed persona.
How the Daytona Replicas Were Built
The two television cars were based on Chevrolet C3 Corvettes, including 1976 and 1981 chassis. Tom McBurnie and McBurnie Coachcraft created Daytona-style bodies that transformed the American sports cars into convincing stand-ins for the rare Italian original.
The replicas were not static props. They had to perform reliably in street scenes, pursuits and stunt sequences while supporting camera equipment and production hardware. One of the cars received specialized equipment including a stunt brake, protective skid plates and camera rigging.
That practical construction is part of what makes the surviving car historically important. It represents the ingenuity of television craftspeople who created an automotive illusion convincing enough to become a pop-culture icon.
Why the Daytona Disappeared From the Series
Ferrari objected to replicas being presented as its cars and pursued legal action against the builders. The television production wanted to avoid an ongoing dispute. Ferrari North America then supplied two genuine 1986 Testarossas, reportedly on the condition that the Daytona replicas no longer appear as Crockett’s hero cars.
The change was written into the show with memorable flair. In the third-season premiere, “When Irish Eyes Are Crying,” Crockett’s black Daytona is destroyed by a missile during an illegal arms deal. The explosive scene gave the series a dramatic way to retire the old car and introduce its replacement.
Enter the White Ferrari Testarossa
The Ferrari Testarossa was new, dramatic and unmistakably modern when it joined Miami Vice. Its wide body, side strakes and mid-mounted flat-12 engine made it one of the defining supercars of the 1980s. Production versions used a five-speed manual transmission and produced approximately 385 horsepower, depending on specification.
Ferrari supplied two genuine Testarossas finished in black. The cars were repainted white for the series, a choice that helped the body stand out during nighttime filming. The white Testarossa became a striking visual contrast against Miami’s dark streets, colored lights and tropical backdrops.
The car briefly appears in its original dark finish in “El Viejo,” an episode produced before the white Testarossa’s formal introduction but aired later in the season.
A Testarossa Built for Stunts
The genuine Ferraris were valuable hero cars, so the production also needed a vehicle capable of enduring demanding stunt work. Builder Carl Roberts explored converting one of the Corvette-based Daytonas, but ultimately used a 1972 De Tomaso Pantera as the basis for a Testarossa-style stunt car.
The Pantera’s mid-engine layout and proportions made it a useful foundation. Its body and chassis were extensively modified for filming, including:
Approximately 1.5 inches of additional ground clearance.
Heavy square-tube reinforcement to strengthen the structure.
A reinforced lower rail that also served as a skid plate.
A separate braking system designed to help stunt drivers initiate controlled spins.
Brake modifications that allowed the rear wheels to be locked on command.
These changes reveal something viewers rarely saw: television cars were working tools. They needed to look glamorous on camera while carrying equipment, repeating takes and surviving maneuvers a valuable production Ferrari was never intended to perform.
What Happened to the Miami Vice Daytona?
One of the two Daytona replicas continued working after its time on Miami Vice. It was sent to Canada and used in the 1989 comedy Speed Zone, starring John Candy. After that production, the car disappeared from public view.
Years later, it was discovered deteriorating outdoors in the Texas sun. Volo acquired the vehicle and undertook a careful cosmetic restoration. Rather than erasing every trace of its production life, the goal was to preserve the surviving evidence of its use, including its special stunt equipment, skid plates and camera-related modifications.
The restoration was only part of the challenge. A car can look correct and still lack proof of its screen history. Establishing this Daytona’s identity required years of research.
How Volo Authenticated the Screen-Used Car
The breakthrough came in 2015, when Volo researchers compared the car’s vehicle identification number with documentation from Universal Studios listing the VINs of the two original television cars. The numbers matched.
That match connected the surviving Corvette-based replica directly to the Miami Vice production. It confirmed that the vehicle was not merely a tribute or a later copy, but one of the documented cars built for and used in the television series.
The distinction is important: the car is a replica of a Ferrari Daytona, but it is an authentic screen-used Miami Vice production vehicle. Today, it is believed to be the only one of the two television Daytona replicas on public display.
Why These Cars Still Matter
The Daytona and Testarossa tell two different chapters of the same story. The Daytona replica demonstrates how production teams used creativity and American performance-car hardware to build a convincing exotic. The genuine Testarossas reflect the series’ growing influence—and Ferrari’s recognition that a starring role on Miami Vice could shape how an entire generation viewed the brand.
Together, the cars helped turn Miami Vice into more than a police drama. They made it an aspirational world of speed, style and danger. Decades later, a black Daytona silhouette or white Testarossa under neon light can still evoke the show almost instantly.
See the Screen-Used Miami Vice Daytona at Volo Museum
The authenticated Daytona replica is on display at Volo Museum in Volo, Illinois, alongside famous vehicles from movies, television and pop culture. Seeing it in person reveals details that television could easily hide: the Corvette foundation, the production modifications and the craftsmanship required to create Crockett’s exotic-looking ride.
For fans of Miami Vice, Ferrari history, movie cars or 1980s culture, it is a rare opportunity to stand close to a genuine piece of television history.
Explore Volo Museum’s TV and movie cars or plan your visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Ferrari did Sonny Crockett drive in Miami Vice?
Crockett first drove a black car styled as a Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spyder. The regularly used television cars were Corvette-based replicas. Beginning in season three, his signature vehicle became a white Ferrari Testarossa.
Was the black Miami Vice Ferrari a real Ferrari?
Most of the black Daytona driving and stunt footage used replicas built on Chevrolet Corvette chassis. A genuine Daytona reportedly appeared briefly in the pilot episode.
Why did Miami Vice replace the Daytona with a Testarossa?
Ferrari objected to the replica Daytonas, and the production transitioned to genuine Testarossas supplied by Ferrari North America. The change was dramatized by destroying the Daytona on screen.
Why was the Miami Vice Testarossa white?
The cars supplied by Ferrari were originally dark. They were repainted white, which made their shape easier to see and more visually striking during the show’s many nighttime scenes.
Is a real Miami Vice car at Volo Museum?
Yes. Volo Museum displays one of the two documented Corvette-based Daytona replicas built for and used in the television series. Its VIN was matched to Universal Studios documentation in 2015.
Few television shows have ever fused cars, fashion, music and atmosphere as completely as Miami Vice. From its neon-soaked streets and pastel suits to its unmistakable soundtrack, the NBC crime drama did not simply portray the 1980s—it helped define them.
At the center of that style was Detective James “Sonny” Crockett’s car. First came the low, black Ferrari Daytona Spyder seen during the show’s earliest seasons. Later, Crockett slipped behind the wheel of a bright white Ferrari Testarossa that became one of television’s most recognizable sports cars.
The story behind those cars is every bit as dramatic as the series itself. It involves rare Ferraris, Corvette-based replicas, a lawsuit, cars donated by Ferrari, custom stunt engineering and one long-lost screen-used vehicle that was eventually authenticated and preserved by Volo Museum.
Created by Anthony Yerkovich and executive-produced by Michael Mann, Miami Vice starred Don Johnson as James “Sonny” Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs. The detectives worked undercover in a heightened version of Miami filled with speedboats, nightclubs, dangerous criminals and exotic cars.
The series aired for five seasons from 1984 through 1989, with an additional episode later broadcast in 1990. Its cinematic photography, contemporary music and fashion-forward production design made it feel unlike a conventional police drama. Songs from artists such as Phil Collins, Tina Turner and Jackson Browne were woven into scenes in ways that anticipated the visual language of modern music videos.
The cars were not background decoration. They helped establish Crockett’s undercover identity as a high-rolling player who could move convincingly through Miami’s criminal underworld. For viewers, they also supplied a weekly dose of automotive fantasy.
The black sports car associated with the first two seasons looked like a Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spyder, one of the most desirable open-top Ferraris of its era. A genuine Daytona Spyder paired dramatic Italian styling with a 4.4-liter V12 producing roughly 350 horsepower. Because relatively few factory Spyders were built, using authentic examples for repeated television driving and stunt work would have been extremely expensive.
The answer was a pair of convincing replicas. Although a genuine Daytona reportedly appeared briefly in the pilot, the cars audiences watched in regular driving and action scenes were built on Chevrolet Corvette chassis and fitted with custom fiberglass bodies. The result had the exotic silhouette the production wanted, while remaining practical enough for the demands of episodic television.
The principal black replica carried Florida license plate ZAQ178 on screen. Its low profile, wire wheels and aggressive stance were perfectly suited to Crockett’s carefully constructed persona.
The two television cars were based on Chevrolet C3 Corvettes, including 1976 and 1981 chassis. Tom McBurnie and McBurnie Coachcraft created Daytona-style bodies that transformed the American sports cars into convincing stand-ins for the rare Italian original.
The replicas were not static props. They had to perform reliably in street scenes, pursuits and stunt sequences while supporting camera equipment and production hardware. One of the cars received specialized equipment including a stunt brake, protective skid plates and camera rigging.
That practical construction is part of what makes the surviving car historically important. It represents the ingenuity of television craftspeople who created an automotive illusion convincing enough to become a pop-culture icon.
The Ferrari Testarossa was new, dramatic and unmistakably modern when it joined Miami Vice. Its wide body, side strakes and mid-mounted flat-12 engine made it one of the defining supercars of the 1980s. Production versions used a five-speed manual transmission and produced approximately 385 horsepower, depending on specification.
Ferrari supplied two genuine Testarossas finished in black. The cars were repainted white for the series, a choice that helped the body stand out during nighttime filming. The white Testarossa became a striking visual contrast against Miami’s dark streets, colored lights and tropical backdrops.
The car briefly appears in its original dark finish in “El Viejo,” an episode produced before the white Testarossa’s formal introduction but aired later in the season.
One of the two Daytona replicas continued working after its time on Miami Vice. It was sent to Canada and used in the 1989 comedy Speed Zone, starring John Candy. After that production, the car disappeared from public view.
Years later, it was discovered deteriorating outdoors in the Texas sun. Volo acquired the vehicle and undertook a careful cosmetic restoration. Rather than erasing every trace of its production life, the goal was to preserve the surviving evidence of its use, including its special stunt equipment, skid plates and camera-related modifications.
The restoration was only part of the challenge. A car can look correct and still lack proof of its screen history. Establishing this Daytona’s identity required years of research.
