Did people change when you got a Ferrari?

A lot of times, the people who change are the people who bought the Ferrari....

 

Maybe, but I have found my humble 308s trigger peer resentment, random vandalism, and all sorts of negative reactions...it's the flip side to School Buses leaning to one side and the cell phone pics and thumbs up from other enthusisats...........

Of course, I walk in No Man's Land....

The Ferrari crowd sees me as (lunatic) an Art Car.........The Art Car crowd sees me as a (flash, snob) Ferrari driver! LOL!

You really have to work pretty hard to overcome people's stereotyped notions.
No idea how it is at even higher level of Fcar ownership...maybe better, as at a certain level, you no longer mingle with the commoners....

 

No one knows at my work, but my friends changed a bit.... they all want rides!!

 

Most of my friends/acquaintances knew I was car-obsessed even before I bought the Ferrari. (Hell, I drove a Fiat X1/9 sports car back in high school in CLEVELAND in the WINTER...)

But you do experience the power of the brand name. I actually paid a tad more for my Porsche 993 a few years back than I did for the 328, and I didn't have people asking me "how's the car?" everytime we get together. I even had one 911 owner (friend of a friend) come over to my house because he wanted a ride -- the guy's 50 years old, and this was the second time in his life he had been in a Ferrari. Then he called me a month later to let me know about the National Geographic 'Ultimate Factories' special on Maranello - he was more excited than I was.

Whether it makes sense or not, some of the fame of the marque rubs off on you. It helps a bit that I have the only one in my neighborhood (mostly BMW, Lexus and SUVs around here), so I am "the guy with the Ferrari". Which is OK.

 

Most people that were friends before I got the Ferrari are still cool about it. One friend always saks when will I let him borrow it (probably never). I like riding around with others in the car, but it is not terribly expensive so most don't look at me as being snobby or anything. If I worked in a regular office I am sure there would be many small minded poeple with attitude problems.

BT

 

None of my friends did, except this one guy who was my best friend until the late 90's.

I never knew how much he resented that I was just crushing him in the business world until I came home with the 348. We did not work together but did work in the same industry for years. He just made not so much bad but other choices than I did so when we were 30 and I made about 10 x what he did, he got pretty bumbed out about it. I just did not notice how bad it had gotten until the Ferrari.

Sad, huh?

 

I've been a car nut forever, so...

The Dino was just seen as the latest developement in my ongoing disease.

DM

 

I'll find out soon, 5th day of ownership Most have known I've always been a car nut; autocrossing, always upgrading, going to shows with the Firebird conv, etc. And always wore Ferrari shirts, hats, posters in the garage...

But a few others are jealous and assume I'm rich and snooty now. I'm not either! I guess owning an F-car helps you clarify who your true friends are.

 

Typical reaction for me. I am well known in the area as a lunatic car nut and have been long before any ferraris showed up.

At the check out line in the big local market. The bag girl, who is apparently a car nut, as usual asks me what I am driving today. BMW is the reply. Her answer, "oh too bad, I was hoping to see the Ferrari!"
Two rows down the bag boy gets all excited, runs over, "so you have a Ferrari?"
Before I can answer, woman behind me, who happens to manage gourmet section of the store says, "well he's my neighbor so I am cool too".
Everyone laughs and goes about their business.

So yes, people enjoy the car, and yes, there may be some attitude but 90% of it is positive and supportive. People from all walks love cars and if your attitude is cool and you don't flaunt or trip on people, their reponse will be the same. I take time with people, let them sit it the car if they are really jacked up about it, maybe give them a ride if time permits and always take time to answer questions. Stopping at a gas station often becomes an event with questions and comments. Its fun to engage with people about something they so clearly enjoy.

 

Same with me as most replies.... everyone who knows me understands that I have a car fanatic disease and the Ferrari's are just one more symptom. So there is no surprise and everyone pretty much gets it.

I have heard interesting comments from friends in my neighborhood who did not know me for a while after moving in. They saw the cars and thought I was some rich guy and admit to making some somewhat derogatory assumptions about me. Ego...status.... bling bling...... that sort of stuff it seems. Then after getting to know me and seeing Porsche engines disassembled in the garage and all sorts of other car projects going on they came to understand that I am just a gear head who tends to put this silly hobby before sound financial reasoning!

One thing thats funny.... if you want maximum impact and public response/attention, buy a 308. They may be among the cheapest Ferraris out there, but they are not only drop dead gorgeous but they are by far the most recognized Ferrari.

When I had my blue 308GTB, that car drew a croud and comments EVERYWHERE. It sucked in attention. Nobody ignored it... everyone knew what it was, 90% of the general public thought it was new, cost $300K and would go 200mph. Sometimes the disappointment on peoples faces when you told them it was slower than some SUVs, cost less than their mini-van and was over 25 years old made you think you had shot their dog or something.

The Daytona is much better in this dept. It goes unnoticed most of the time. "Car Guys" pretty much freak out when they see it. I even came out of Barnes and Noble one time to find a young guy doing the Waynes World "Im not worthy" bow down to it one time... but thats the very rare exception. The average Joe has no idea what it is. They have never seen one before and it flies under the radar. I like that.



Terry

 

You can say that again. Magnium PI pretty much introduced the USA to Ferrari.

 

Most often my friends just assume that I'm off on another car adventure and this is the latest wrinkle in that adventure.

People who see the car when I'm out and about mostly want to know if it's real, followed by how fast will it go, horse power, and how many tickets have I gotten. I give them all the answers and tell them no tickets. It's like they're with me in getting over on the police, but the truth is that I don't drive it fast enough to get tickets.

Bob Wassam

 

Nah, same same here.

 

I think people on balance treat me the same. I have had some freinds who resent the cars I have and others who enjoy them with me. I will get comments like wow a Ferrari, is that really an F430?

Mostly I hear Ferrari people are arrogant. I have not seen that. I have seen people who are very sucessful and therefore have a "strength of person" about them and they are proud of what they have accomplished and they should be.

FYI I have a F430, 2005 Ford GT, Porsche 911, 1965 427 Cobra & a Lotus, plus a few motorcycles.

I do have one funny story. A friend and I stopped by at the local burrito den with the Ferrari. it was a 360 Modena. After a few mins I heard Eminem was somewhere near. I guess he lives in the area. I asked the young and excited clerk, how do you know he is here. She pointed to my Red Ferrari and said that is his. Ops The sad part is do not look like him and I bearly know who he is. She was less excited when she (they) found out it was me!

Lee

 

Getting philosophical here...

I don't think folks changed....it just allowed them a vehicle (no pun intended) to say some things they only suspected earlier. "Ohhhh....a Ferrari...you must be rich"

My only response is, "no...not even close. I just choose to enjoy the time when I get behind the wheel. If I'm going to be here...I might as well have fun!!"

The italian car market is all but non-existant in Boise, Idaho. I think there are four or five ferraris in town...another red 328....a 246...a 400...and I think a Maranello or Super America.

The great part is most folks don't even notice it.

 

No change except one person who, after he saw my car, went off to buy this:
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Cool!!

 

I have a friend who I didn't talk to much, but I found out he had a Ferrari and, I'll admit that I was a lot nicer to him. It wasn't so much the car though, it was more our common interest!

 

Yeah, Pap, fatal Ferrari bug bite!

 

I had a friend, who after he saw my Ferrari, went out and bought a classic Mercedes. He said he bought it so we could drive around the countryside in our cars. I was wondering, if it had to do with 'keeping up with the Joneses'.

 

People at work changed for the worse when they found out i drove a Ferrari to work one day... I keep it on the down low anymore but i did, however, drive down the road one day and an old 911 Porsche pulled up right next to me and gave me the thumbs up... I did the same and we wound up talking for hours and becoming friends!!! Are passion is what brings car enthusiasts, communities together.

 

Only family and very personal friends now, plus people i met through fchat. I would assume others ...like work, arm length family, and friends would be resentful. I would also anticipate being approached for some type of hand out from relatives.
The less people know the better as far as im concerned.