Ferrari shop in Des Moines

There was an authorized Ferrari Dealer in DSM? I wish they still had one here

 

I heard that story before but I thought it was just nursery rhyme.

 

Never been a "Ferrari Dealer" of any official capacity in Des Moines (or anywhere in Iowa for that matter).

Based on your location description and time frame, I would guess you are talking about the old location of Beckley Automotive Services. They used to service some local F-cars back then, but they never were into sales. Although, it is possible they may have had a customer car they were helping sell on consignment from time to time which they kept at their shop. I also don't remember them ever having an actual showroom of any formal nature --- but, I could be wrong about that. Most likely they just had a small space aside from the service area where they could display a car or two they were helping to sell for a customer for a little while.

Other than a POS black 348 that ADM had on their sales floor a few years back, a silver 355 that Wide World of Wheels had in their inventory for a short while before they dumped it back to Mecum Auctions pool also a few years back, and the black 355 (which I believe was one of the owner's personal cars) that Toyota of Des Moines was trying to sell also a few years back........I don't think any F-cars have changed hands through any car sales facilities in Des Moines. Though some have been bought / sold privately within the area from time to time.


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Nope --- They (Ramsey) used to have a Porsche concession though, but not Lotus.

 

9625 Hickman

Back then it was Ramsey Pontiac & Subaru. And, they did have a Porsche dealership on site adjacent, but not flagged as Ramsey, yet still owned by Ramsey (although they had some local investment partners in the Porsche franchise --- rumor has it the investor group was connected to the long defunct Ostrem Motors in downtown on Locust, where ADM (American Dream Machines) is located now, who had Porsche / Audi / VW back in the 70's and early 80's until they went bankrupt.

They (Ramsey Porsche) only lasted a few years, maybe 4 or 5, IIRC. But, they are still there dealing Subaru and Mazda now.

http://www.ramseyauto.com/

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You got me there --- I have no memory of that place whatsoever. Is it possible that they were offering only independent service on Lotus ? Even then, that would be weird as I doubt there have ever been more than 4-5 Lotuses anywhere in the entire state of Iowa at any given time --- not exactly a viable business model

 

There was a Lotus dealer on E. Lincoln Way in Ames in the 1970s. I remember they had a pile of Europa bodies piled up behind the shop. Three burned, one wrecked. The shop on Reliable Street had a Lotus sign in it, and still might. I remember it as haven a Rolls Royce in primer parked in the weeds next to the train tracks for several years around 1990. I assumed this shop was connected to the Lotus dealership, which I always heard burned under suspicious circumstances... They fixed my son's Civic and did terrible work. I remember seeing 7 or 8 Loti from the Eclat era buried in snow at the used car shop on HYW 69 by Alleman around 1982/3 on the way back from a Porsche Club meeting. That is my record of Loti spotted in Iowa.

 

They had Fiats and I remember seeing a 246 in there.