First drive in a Ferrari

Congrats to him. When I was 16, I got to learn how to drive a manual in a VW Dasher (piece of junk!) Then I got a Fiat X1/9 and learned that all manuals have slightly different feel to them.

I've never been passenger in mine, so I guess I really haven't yet basked in the attention because I'm too busy driving.

 

My first drive in a Ferrari was at 24 or 25 years old in an '85 TR. Drove it from Seattle to Vancouver, BC and back with the owner's son-in-law. It was really fun...and it was also one of the first true high-performance cars I had ever driven.

Wow that seems like a long time ago!!!

 

Your son i a lucky kid, when I was 16 I learned manual on a saturn and if I was lucky i got to drive the newer saturn lol.

 

My first driving experience in a Ferrari was when I was 17 and my dad let me give a friend a ride in his (then new) 86 Testarossa. I have only been a passenger in my 348 a fwew times, and I really enjoy riding as a passenger just about as much as driving the car. Of course, if the roads were better here the driving portion would be more exciting. Nice of you to trust your son, I bet he really enjoyed the drive!

BT

 

My son is 6 monthes old. I love him to death, but I am not sure if he will ever drive my Ferrari (if I have one then), my wife doesn't even drive them. So I guess kudos for you, and you have a lucky son!

 

Very nice story Doug.
As you mentioned, it would have been a DREAM to be able to drive a Ferrari at 16yrs old. I am lucky that life is good and I will be able to let my baby nephew and my kids (if I ever have any ) have a drive of one of my Ferraris when they are 16yrs old. I only have my 348 at the moment, but will have 1 or 2 more by the time they hit that age hopefully. I hope your boy realises how lucky he is to have a Dad like you.
Best wishes buddy.

 

C'mon mate!! Gotta give the little fella a go!

 

You are one brave man! Congrats on getting her back alive. So, does he get to take the car to the prom now?

Hey, when is the next drive? We should do the airport run.

Joe

 

I've had to drive a Dasher & X1/9 before! We survived

 

Congrats to your son! Will you let him drive it when he wants or with you as a passenger only?

 

That is a great story. Both of my boys have learned to drive stick in the 308. It's a perfect car to teach young men how to drive - no power brakes or steering and a solid clutch and gear lever.

I let my boys drive all of the cars with me as a passenger. That way I remove the "I wonder what it would feel like if I snuck the keys and took it" temptation. They have managed everything quite well. My 17 year old has even driven the Carrera GT without any clutch issues, putting that bad rumor to rest that the CGT clutch is awful.

 

I drove a few Ferraris at 16. My dad had the 308 I have now and he had a 246 too. I also drove a 330 once as a teenager too. The fastest car (in a straight line) I drove back then was my dad's GT500. That mustang was rediculously fast...

 

Wow!! The good life! You have some lucky boys there too mate.
Love your awesome collection and thanks for sharing your story.

 

Yesterday was the first time I actually got out in the 550 for a nice extended drive. I did some back roads for a while and just enjoyed the car. After that, I got it on the highway for bit, then met my dad at Starbucks. It was a great afternoon and experience that will not get old; Athough being 19 (and looking younger), in traffic, in a red Ferrari, there is a ton of attention that I don't love. I look forward to driving it more by myself and with my dad.

 

You're a great dad for letting him drive the 328 at 16. What's the feedback from your son? I bet he had a grin ear to ear for a week or so plus telling his friends. I consider him initiated and part of the brotherhood. Congrats.

My first experience with a F-car was a passenger in a 308GT4 at 14 yrs old and the sound of the 4 webers at WOT was intoxicating (could not forget that sound) and got to drive a friend's 308GTSi at 23. I actually enjoyed the attention from the other motorists looking in than the car as I was very careful with it.

Oh and don't forget to take his picture driving the car.

 

I cannot remember exactly when it was, but my first drive in a Ferrari was Erik Nielson's 365 GT 2+2. It was so much fun, the clutch was soo heavy. We were all attending the Sidewalk sale at FAF Motorcars. Must have been 15 or more years ago!

I have the pics too! Remember that Erik? I'll always be thankful of Erik for being so generous to let me drive it.

 

Congratulations to your son, I know the feeling well. I'm his age.

It's really like nothing else. When you're putting around with 168 horsepower then get handed something with a soul and an engine note to die for, its an amazing ride. The feel of the road, the feel of the shifter as you slide into the next gear.

It's truly a different animal seeing as my old BMW loves to drive at 1500 - 2000 rpms in 4th or 5th when going 35 - 50 mph and if you did that in the Mondial it'd get mad and not work well for you. Have to learn that, "Yeah, this is the only make of car that it's not just acceptable to drive at 40 in 3rd @ 3400 rpms, it's the way to drive the car." They don't like the lower rpms.


Such a rush winding out in second. The amazing thing is once it gets past 4000 rpms or so, you can hear the turbocharger sucking in even more air. It's incredible.

 

That's awesome, and I'm sure something that he will never forget. I was 17 when I drove my first Ferrari. It was a white 308 but I only drove it about 500 yards. I was a valet and unfortunitly the parking lot wasn't that far away.

 

You must need to carry another bag of luggage with you for all the keys when you and the wife want to get away for the weekend... just in case.