This photo of a Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa with its original yet broken 12-cylinder engine replaced with a Ford V-8 has resulted in a maelstrom of speculation and recollections that the car is the same Testa Rossa that recently sold for more than $16 million in Monterey. By all accounts, the Ferrari saw plenty of time on the road and race track through not just a few engines, but also a few sets of body panels.

The story and photo spring from Doug Stokes and Scot Sanders, whose late father, Bob Sanders, is sitting behind the wheel of the Testa Rossa on Christmas day in 1964. The car was driven up from Manhattan Beach to Covina, California, after Scot was hired by its latest owner to relieve the race-worn Ferrari V-12 and swap in a fresh Ford V-8. Scot drove it up on Christmas to show his Dad and sister Sharlene. An engine swap like this was a relatively inexpensive way to go road racing.

Before calls of blasphemy and Enzo himself rolling in his grave commence, bear in mind that however beautiful the car was and is, at the time it was considered old and uncompetitive. Add the rarity and expense of parts to repair the V-12, and the Testa Rossa was worth less than it would have cost to repair the broken engine - around $3,500 by Stokes's own estimate. And that was if you could even find Ferrari parts.

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