NEWPORT BEACH : Auto Show to Feature the Exotic

On the surface, it would seem that Keith Knapp was a little hasty Friday when he scoffed at the suggestion that his car is worth only $45,000.

After all, it’s only a replica of a 1961 Ferrari California Spyder convertible, it has no side windows, no top, and had to be rebuilt after having crashed through a home’s picture window and flying backward into a ravine.

But Knapp hints he wants more than $65,000 for the car and he’s likely to get it during this weekend’s Newport Beach Collector Car Show. The reason? The car starred in the 1986 movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

“It’s a unique car and actually it is in better shape now than when it went through the window” and ravine as part of the movie, said Knapp, an El Cajon computer salesman. “It’s a collector’s item, it has status, and because of that it has tremendous investment value.”

About 250 cars are expected to be auctioned off during the 15th annual sale, which is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and Sunday at the Hyatt Newporter Resort and Hotel. Admission is $10 for adults and $2 for children and senior citizens; organizers expect more than 8,000 visitors each day.

The featured cars include a red 1968 Ford Mustang once owned by former Beatle Ringo Starr, a black 1977 Porsche Kremmer once owned by rock star Rod Stewart, and a 1976 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow that Frank Sinatra gave to his wife, Barbara, on their wedding day, after having it painted an off-shade of blue to match his wife’s eyes.

“This is half car show, half auction,” spokesman Joseph Molina said. “Just about every serious collector on the West Coast is going to be here, but it is also an event for those who want to just come look and not buy.”

Non-celebrity cars on the block include a 1925 Nash Tudor, a 1942 Ford Willys Jeep, a 1961 Facel Vega, a 1966 Chevrolet Corvette and a 1974 Jensen Interceptor.

“I expect that we will have cars that will sell for as little as $5,000 up to cars that will cost in excess of $150,000,” said Tim McGrane, the managing director.

He said a celebrity car can sometimes fetch a higher-than-expected price, but not always.

“It all depends if the person is still in the news and if the car fits the personality that the public perceives for that person,” McGrane said. “The Rolls-Royce for Frank Sinatra, the Porsche for Rod Stewart, the Mustang for Ringo Starr--those fit. But I got a call a few months ago from somebody who owned a 1978 Pontiac station wagon that the Sinatras once owned. That car, because it doesn’t fit the image, is probably worth no more than any other 1978 Pontiac station wagon.”

Sharon Sloan, who bought the Rolls from the Sinatras in 1988, said that owning a celebrity car has its pluses and minuses.

“When I drive it to Palm Springs (near the Sinatras’ home) and I take it to the gas station, the attendants know the car, or when I go to a restaurant, everybody is familiar with it,” the Long Beach real estate agent said. “But in Long Beach, it attracts too much attention and I have had people follow me. If I lived in Beverly Hills or Palm Springs, I probably wouldn’t be selling it.”