File this under the unbelievable first world problem category... Preston Henn vs Ferrari North America >8^) ER
Colorful character. http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-12-11/news/fl-swap-shop-preston-henn-20131210_1_preston-henn-swap-shop-flea-market http://blog.dupontregistry.com/media/photos/multi-million-dollar-swap-shop-car-collection/ T
Unless its his age, I would've assumed PH would've been near the top of the list in the US to get a LaFerrari Aperta. There's more to this story I'm sure
That's quite the collection he already has. Maybe this is just an "old" guy having a bit of fun. I can't imagine a 75k windfall is the motivation when he refers to 5mil as pocket change.
Ferrari probably doesnt see him as a long term revenue stream as sad as it sounds. He definitely fits the criteria. He tracks all his cars..fxx, daytona spider, f50, enzo and the 275 gtbc that is probably worth as 50 lf aperta.
He's not suing for only $75k. The complaint states that the amount in controversy exceeds $75k, the minimum required in order to qualify for federal jurisdiction. For anyone who's interested, the actual complaint is attached below: Image Unavailable, Please Login
This is so pitiful on so many levels - on the one hand it reeks of entitlement ie its his decision not Ferraris whether he gets a car and on the other it suggests the tantrum of a seven year old who has just been told he's not getting the lead in the school pageant
It has been alleged to me that PH sued SpA over the Corse Clienti program. Or, maybe threatened to sue. Essentially, it was alleged that it was a blank-check, unabashed money grab by the company. 3-day weekends far exceeded $100K USD. Regardless of whether PH sued or not, there was certainly grumbling by a number of owners. I don't know PH personally, so I never heard him say anything negative about it. However, rumors travel in this community. And, if derogatory comments were made, I'd expect SpA to react rather coolly. If this is at all true, I think that could have been the nail in the coffin for PH. This, however, may be a tale of how SpA treats its' customers. Does it have spiteful and vindictive practices and a long memory? Possibly, but I'm not privy to them. They always have more buyers then cars when it comes to their special offerings. So, they must determine how to allocate them, and it's their right to sell to whomsoever they wish. As new markets around the world open up, the allocation to the other markets (including the US) will be reduced, as a result. That's just a fact of life. Is a new Chinese billionaire more important to sell to than PH? In SpA's judgment, I guess maybe. However, he certainly has a high opinion of himself. If he can't purchase the latest and greatest, his standing within the collecting community has been diminished? To say he's not qualified is defamatory? Well, life's a b*tch. Sorry. I admit that in the high-end Ferrari collecting universe, there is the potential for a pecking order. I'm not going to throw out names, but I've seen it myself. It's bragging rights. It's ego. It's blue bloods. But, and no disrespect to PH or his collection, but I wouldn't even put it anywhere near the top in terms of quality of value. He's got, arguably, one important car. The rest are cool, but nothing special, IMO. CW
Not sure what to say about the theory in his suit, but I have said many times on this site, I'm not a huge fan of Ferrari extorting it's good customers to buy a car they don't necessary want (eg. an FF or a Cali T) in order to get a "special edition" Ferrari. And if you don't then get that special car, I think you are damn close to having a cause of action against them...and if you are also a shareholder of their publically traded stock, well, I think you are there. I know that's not what he's alleging here, but Ferrari thinks highly of themselves too and if someone can knock them down a few pegs, I may not encourage it, but it is interesting to watch
This was always going to happen when the LFA was announced, a golden opportunity to piss off at least 349 LF owners.
yeah, but they are a little more cautious and crafty than that. The sales pitch goes something like this, "I know you have a 458, an F12 and 10 plus other Ferraris and have been buying many Ferraris since you could afford them, and I know you REALLY want an LaFerrari and haven't gotten an allocation yet, but if you buy a $355k FF, you will MOST Likely get a LaFerrari" They were careful to say it wasn't guaranteed. On the TdF, I made them guarantee it first before I bought the Cali T. I guess if you know how to play their game, you can make it work.
This collector is suing Ferrari because he cant buy a LaFerrari Spider Full story: Ferrari LaFerrari collector lawsuit Image Unavailable, Please Login
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/288gto-f40-f50-enzo-laferrari/528966-collector-sues-over-laferrari-aperta-denial.html
I bet Tesla wishes they had never sold that car to the guy who liked to film and post You Tube videos of his car "driving itself." He finally got killed when his Tesla didn't recognize a large tractor trailer cutting in front of him. A show off owner like that they didn't need. I think Preston Henn's occupation of swap meet owner is what grinded Ferrari; I think they want Captains of Industry, architects, attorneys, movie stars, not people who make money any old way, hard scrabble guys. Even Gene Casaroll tried to restrict who bought Dual Ghias.
Is the swap shop really how PH makes/made enough money to afford a G650 and to turn down $70m for his 275 GTBC Speciale?
I'm a bit surprised by both ends of this story. I have heard that Henn has been on their "'VIP" list so to speak forever. He owns practically every super Ferrari already.