When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. When life gives you more melons than you can sell, you bring out the Ferrari.
A Prancing Horse hauling melons is perhaps the most unexpected and strangest sight possible, but this is no “regular” pony. It is an entirely homemade Ferrari 488 GTB, built on a $1,000 budget over several months, drawing power from a feisty little air-cooled engine sourced from a water pump that’s allegedly able to take it to top speeds of 60 kph (37.2 mph). This claim is still unverified, but that’s why the car sounds like a lawnmower, in case you were wondering.
This Ferrari is famous both in its native country Vietnam and all over the world, thanks to the viral video that showed its debut. It is the creation of the team behind NHET TV from Vietnam, who got started by making cardboard replicas of motorcycles and cars. It then moved into supercar territory, with the Ferrari standing out for featuring a steel frame with lots of fiberglass and composite glue.
As we noted in a February cover story, this Ferrari is far from a convincing replica, but it is impressive nonetheless. It is now even more so, considering its voluminous frunk can fit plenty of melons.
The video is 30 minutes long and, while not packed with details, it still makes for a fascinating watch. The “story” is basic: the two dudes realize they have no chance of selling all their melons, so they come up with the idea of putting them inside the frunk and hauling them to a better location. Packaging is everything, as they say, and apparently, selling melons out the frunk of a fake Ferrari is the best packaging possible.
The “story” is actually an excuse to show off the car, which has seen considerable improvement, both to the exterior and the cabin, since the last time it made headlines. The guys are still able to sell off the entire melon inventory, but that’s a subplot. So, we get to see the loaded Ferrari traveling (downhill, God bless) on the narrow streets, bringing out large crowds and putting a smile on everyone’s face. Because the project is a valuable one, there’s an entire team of people coordinating along the route, making sure there’s no incoming traffic and relieving congestion behind the Ferrari.
It’s admirable how everyone works together to show off the car and help make this video. Perhaps more heart-warming, though, is people’s reactions to the supercar: this is a point of pride for the villagers, and they’re right in feeling this way. Even though this far from a convincing replica, the amount of skill involved is astounding, all things considered. It wouldn’t be entirely surprising if they bought melons out of solidarity.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News