This Coffee Table Is A Beautifully Compressed Ferrari

It's no surprise that Ferraris are seen as pieces of art (Art, man!) amongst gearheads around the world. But who knew they're just as stunning to look at when crumpled up beyond recognition, lounging in your living room?

If that sort of destruction-porn decor is your thing, you'll want to check out this compressed Ferrari coffee table, which features the heaping metal remains of a 2007 360 Modena under glass.

Part of Bonham's upcoming Zoute Sale auction, this unique six-by-six-foot piece of furniture once belonged to the late Belgian racing driver and team owner Jacques Swaters, a prolific Ferrari collector and owner of a well-known dealership in Brussels. It was dreamed up by his lead bodywork specialist Roberto Bernardi and fashioned from the compressed remains of an irreparable metallic blue 360 Modena, topped with a large square sheet of glass. 

From some angles it is hardly indistinguishable from a heaping pile of scrap metal, but upon closer inspection you see it's been deliberately crumpled to highlight particular signature Ferrari details, not least of which is the logoed engine block. Pretty beautiful, even for a clunker.

You can also make out Bernardi's name and signature engraved on one of the square-section chassis rails.

It may not be as exciting as a Ferrari that you can actually whip around in, but the fact that it's dessicated remains have been put on display is a testament to the value put upon its legacy. And seeing as it's estimated to fetch between $15,000 and $23,000 when it goes under the hammer next week, it's a hell of a lot more affordable.


Joe McGauley is a senior editor at Supercompressor. After reading about this, his living room coffee table has been suffering from severe self-esteem issues.