Who is Secretive about their Ferrari Ownership?

I only tell friends. No one at work.

 

My partners know I am a complete car idiot - a couple others are as well so no worries. Our employees are all pretty handsomely compensated so there's no aggro there.

I live in a loft so park all my cars in the parking garage and people know there too - most of them dig the Buick more anyway.

In conversations if cars come up someone with me will invariably mention 'the fleet' and so I will go through the whole mess, not focused on the Ferrari per se but rather the fact that I have five cars and a six-block commute...

Cheers
Kevin

 

i keep it to myself. only some good friends know. seems like too much of a hassle to tell coworkers. my dad on the other hand, has told quite a few people.

 

I try to be low key. On the other hand, that's my name up there on the right, and if you google me you'll find plenty of ferrarichat postings...

 

I'm just SHOPPING for an F-car and I don't tell anybody at work. When I finally find the right one I won't tell any coworkers.

 

My close friends know I have one. Most do not. No reason to bring it up most of the time.

 

I keep my Ferrari stored behind a fence out in Nevada near a place called Groom Lake. Security is quite good. The guards will shoot anybody who crosses the fence and deny that any Ferrari, or anything else, exists inside the perimeter. But trust me, it's there. I only drive it at night and never allow anybody to see it.

 

I used to do that for the longest time. The roads are clear and might see maybe two cars on my entire drive. I loved it. Too busy now.

 

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I don't advertise it to people who aren't friends, but my friends know because they're my friends. What good is a friend who doesn't appreciate a Ferrari? For that matter, what good is a person who doesn't appreciate Ferrari?

 

How is it in hover mode and does it have any flat spots over light speed?

 

No problems in hover mode, but as I near light speed, the clock slows down, and my fellow F-chatters grow older while I stay the same age.

 

I can only think of a small handful of situations where mentioning you have a ferrari would be useful:

1) Loan application: "Yeah, the ferrari is paid for. Its value? Uhm. They were worth about 1.2 million in the 80's. Should be about the same now. Yeah. Just write that down...uhm...in the assets column..."

2) You are single, and met a materialistic slut who is drop dead gorgeous, and you wish to have only animalistic interaction. "Yeah. The ferrari is mine. Dam* Lambo broke again. Hey, How do I get to the Hamptons? My urologist is there and he's trying to find a cure for my oversized p*nis and sex drive..."

3) On Fchat. Just because a bunch of other people will admit to it...

4) Reunions. "Hey Bob, see your wife got pretty fat there. My wife's still hot. See, she's in the ferrari..."

5) Just for grins at NAPA. "Hey, do you guys have a part that looks like this? What cars it for? ....You ain't gonna have it . Sure we do, whats it for? A FERRARI ."

6) To ex-girlfriends. " Yeah baby, I miss the porsche too. These ferrari's are just such gas hogs...By the way, you got pretty fat, didn't you?"

Places where mentioning a ferrari won't work: Work, friends, neighbors, clients, your kids, your wife, your parents, and every other nook in the universe...

As an aside, I found its best NEVER to tell anyone you have the car, even if you wouldn't mind that they know...

I have had other doc's rush up to me in shock, and ask if they really saw me in a ferrari...

It always seems best to gently deny it at first. "Me? A ferrari? Where ws that? What did it look like?"

Then slowly admit it. "Wow, you saw me past the window tint, the shades, and the disguise? Yeah, it was me. Had it for a while."

Then finish up. "Puhhh-leeze don't tell anyone. I don't want to give the wrong impression."

If you do it like this, people won't assume you are an arrogant jerk...

 

I think a low profile is a good idea too because many people cop an attitude about people with exotic cars. If you show off and brag about it, you're just asking to be keyed or worse. I act like it's just a hobby, restoring an old sports car , that's it. I don't make a point of telling anyone.

 

I like and definitely support reasons #2 and #6 as mature and legitimate.

 

I tell everyone I meet I own a Ferrari... too bad it's an MR2.

 

During my short time of ownership, I have kept a pretty low key about it, however I have the same situation as Meister. Invite one of your friends over for company and the next day everybody knows about it.

I don't boast about having an F- but whenever anybody asks about it or is curious, I'll never turn down a fellow enthusiast. Since this individual let it out, I decided to drive it to work now and then, and the general response from co-workers has been extremely positive.

Ferraris are like anything else we have a passion or hobby for... it is meant for sharing amongst the people you care about, which is why I don't mind people knowing.

 

I don't see much need to hide it. And sneeking the noisy red thing down my street is just about impossable anyway.
My shipmates at work know about it, and think it's pretty sweet that the ol chief cruises around in a Ferrari when home.
To me, sharing it with others you know is half the fun!

 

I have 3/4 of my family members not aware, and like it like that. Aside from the few neighbors, and a few fchatters and my tech the less people know the better. For some reason it gives a wrong impression, and all of a sudden you need to give more at family functions, and even distant freinds from the past feel like you may own them.
Just prefer it that way.

 

My old boss at a Calgary, AB car dealership (not mentioning names or brand) had a black 911 Turbo and a Yellow TR. He often drove a demo to work and on occasion would bring the 911 (which had a FCA sticker in the window!). He knew I was (am) a Ferrari enthusiast and we talked about it behind closed doors but he asked me to keep it quiet. I agreed to, but asked why. The reason: apparently when he first brought the Porsche around, other staff (from non-management, and his and other departments) he felt like he was getting treated differently as though now since he has a nicer car than they he is a snob. Not so, but he lived with it, and decided not to bring the TR around, since the Porsche got that reaction what would a Ferrari get!!!!!!

SO I guess in certain situations it pays to be selective of who knows and who doesn't, depending on a maturity level of others, among other thing.

Chris

 

I try to avoid mentioning it before the third sentence in a conversation.

I refuse to be made to feel guilty for having a good car.
On the other hand, an old 328 isn't exactly much club in a bragging contest.

But I've started to avoid the subject. Most people see a Ferrari as the poster boy for "conspicuous consumption" -- a "double plus ungood" eco disaster (even while they drive SUVs that cost more and get worse gas mileage).

But what gets me is that they stubbornly cling to that ignorance -- nobody thanks you for telling them that real people can own Ferraris.

The notion that Ferraris are evil and unobtainable makes for an excuse why they don't own one.

Yah, there's a guy at work like that, too. That follows from the notion that Ferraris are rarer than Lunar Anorthosite: they require publicity.

Guys: the phrase is: "It's better to keep under the radar".

 

After surviving the first Gulf War I bought a Mondial 8 pretty cheap but, like a fool, drove it to work on occasion. Being a TSGT in the Air Force at the time didn't help matters as I was called in for "random" urinalysis testing pretty often after that. My Chief would say "told you you shouldn't have bought that car". I was a DINK (duel income no kids) with a modest house and no bills and being a motorhead it was pretty natural to me to own a Ferrari. Didn't matter to others that I paid less for my car then most did for their new minivans and utes. When I get my next one I can assure you that I won't make the same mistake again. Plus, try asking for a raise when you've got a F-Car parked outside

 

Having a few collectable cars as a hobby(love concours and track events) I have been pretty low key about the subject of ownership. It gets out but not by me. My experience is that its best to stay quiet and share this with my car enthusiast friends. Kind of a secret club. Actually that makes it that much more fun anyway.

 

took me 3 years to tell my wife about the first F-car, when I sat her down to tell her, she was expecting that I was going to tell her I was cheating on her! well I guess I was kinda, then! the first thing out of her mouth was WHEN DO I GET TO DRIVE IT? NOT!!! I sometimes forget I own them, doesnt get anymore secretive then that! LOL


shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

I have kept a low profile. Immediate family members, the neighbors (hard to keep it from them when they hear me going down the street) and of course my 15 year old son has told all his friends at school, to which they said "ya right" but after picking him up at school the first time all they could say was "cool car". Took 6 months for the guys at work to find out and then only because I pulled up next to one at a red light, well once one knew they all did, but for them it's no big deal, all have play toys (mostly boats) I just don't drive it to work (part of the low profile thing).