Ferrari too ostentatious for work?

Look at where you live and the nature of your business. Where I was boss and owner for 30 yrs the unemployment rate was usually over 10%. Foreign cars were pretty rare (all the doctors drove a Mercedes).

Lots of our customers were farmers. Either too much rain or not enough or the prices were too low, etc. Something. If I drove a Ferrari to work they would look at it as flaunting my situation and rubbing it in their face. They would resent it. Not good for business or employee relations.

Now that I am unemployed and live in a more affluent community, people are fine with it. they admire the car. I find it's a great conversation starter. So it depends on where you live and what the situation is.

My Dad told me when I was a kid that you should not drive a better car to work than your boss does. And you probably shouldn't drive a car that much better than your customers. I know several businessmen that would drive a Buick instead of a Cadillac because they felt the Caddy carried too much baggage.

I drove Oldsmobiles for several years (a customer was a dealer right across the street). Then I moved to BMWs when the GM quality problems became unbearable. As I got tenure in the job I moved to better vehicles slowly. If I had started with a BMW it would have been disastrous for the business. Hope this helps.

 

You put it well its unfortunate when I take my car to the office I get mixed reviews and in some cases stupid comments from people who should know better

 

The media is playing to its audience. White collar crime is headline news, while a wino getting rolled in the park isn't. Airplane crashes are bigger news than car crashes. But which is more common?

Wealth, today, is not seen as something to strive for. Getting from "A" to "B" in traffic isn't even seen as something to strive for. Both are perceived as "impossible", without cheating.

People in america today are as convinced of class immobility as medieval serfs. Those without wealth despair of ever achieving wealth, regardless of effort (other than the drug business). Those with wealth expect to have it without effort, and despair when it isn't automagic without the parents providing it ... and are convinced that they can't provide it for themselves (other than the drug business).

"You can't win, so don't try".

So who convinced the public that they were the scum at the bottom of the gene pool?

Well, if you have confidence in your own thoughts, you might not believe the dancing cigarette box -- or the lying politician, so there's little incentive there to improve public self-esteem.

But ultimately, I think we did it to ourselves -- or specifically, to our children. We protect our kids ... so protect them from having to face challenges. And then we turn them loose, having never forced (or even allowed) them to discover their own abilities.

So they can easily be convinced that they have none.

And when people succumb to the temptation to cheat "just a little", it further degrades their self esteem. (But "honor" is an obsolete concept, right?)

My boss takes the train.

Heck; the company CEO drives a Buick.

 

FC Quote of the day.

 

I usually only drive mine on the weekend or maybe for a midweek run. There are a lot of practical reasons -- crappy downtown streets, downtown parking, etc. -- but frankly there's so much baggage around the Ferrari name (with any model) that I just don't need the workplace politics around it. I try to distinguish myself at work through my projects, not by what I drive.

I drive an Audi, btw, which meets all my daily needs for fun driving, luxury and some sense that I've done well enough to drive something nice -- and tells clients they're meeting with someone successful (yeah, it matters).

It's very different on weekends, where all my friends know I'm the idiot with the Ferrari...

 

Ditto!

 

Sounds like a good way to do things.

 

I honestly can't believe the mamby pamby attitudes that I am hearing about "worrying what other people are saying" when I drive my Ferrari to work. "My Ferrari is like a tuxedo"...you have to be kidding.

These are cars. They are something that hopefully you worked hard for and enjoy. Don't worry about someone who is probably jealous and has no life of their own, and what they are 'thinking'.

I daily drove a rotation of Ferraris, including an F40, for years. Sure, there were morons who had challenges...and if (when), they said anything, they got a piece of my mind, and I am sure that they went home and contemplated suicide. Not because I wasn't 'nice' to them, but if someone who has no business putting their crap on me wants to have a go...they are bringing a pea shooter to a gun fight.

Most of my employees thought it was cool, as did my clients, but I never made a big deal out of it...it was just a car...a cool car, but a car. If I had an employee who had a problem......guess what...I am paying the bills...they were looking for a new job. If it was a client, then the relationship was not meant to be.......NEXT.

You could die tommorow, do you want your last drive to be in an Altima, because of what some idiot who has no bearing on your life is thinking?

 

As a contingency fee lawyer my clients love to see me driving my Ferrari and/or M5 because they know if I can afford them on my 33% to 40% fee that I will make them even more money...so it does depend on what you do for a living...

 

"WHY, you ask, did I raise the rent on your apartment unit by $300 per month? Well, Mrs. Ramirez, it's because the STOCK brakes on my new car over there obviously wouldn't have been good enough, so I had to think of ways to come up with the extra $15,000 to upgrade to the 'ceramic' brake option. I'm sure you can understand. Also, in regards to your question about when will I hire a plummer to fix your leaky faucet, well, I OBVIOUSLY couldn't live with the STOCK seats, when the racing seats are so much better, so therefore.... "


Needless to say, I don't drive my Ferrari to work.

 

It sounds like you should have an armored personel carrier from the sound of the neighborhood where your rentals are. Just maintain the apartments and drive what you want.......with a kevlar vest of course.

 

If I was inclined to work, I wouldn't choose a company where the CEO drove a BUICK. Where's the incentive to excel? "Give it your all and you too can drive a crapmobile!" What a mission statement for the company!
The idea of being modest and not enjoying what you have earned comes from a puritanical philosophy and the fable that the afterlife will give you all of the material things you want. Muslims have their 72 virgins, christians have paradise, etc etc and these fairy tales inhibit people from succeeding and worse still, denying them the enjoyment of success.

 

interesting thread. For me, many of my co-workers and customers have ferraris and lambos. You see them everywhere. I have no problems with driving my old CS or my 430 to work. Many of us have gotten de-sensitized to exotics here in CA and it's no longer a big deal.

As a side note also,I buy cars because of the experience, not because I want to be ostentatious. Just another car guy and my dealing with others reflect that whether they are co-workers or customers.

 

I've put 8k miles on my CS this year. None of them to work. People at work don't even know that I own one and I plan to keep it that way. I feel that it will bring too much negative attention so I leave it at home.

 

I imagine he got it for free -- part of the deal when we took over a division formerly owned by GM. There are still residual links between the companies.

Cars just aren't his "thing". That's fine. People differ.

A "diverse" company should be more than "de longer I work here diverse it gets".

And it's not like anyone is worried about the CEO not being compensated well. We know better.

By the standards of the region, our company actually does have a high percentage of "gear heads". In that one MA plant, aside from my 328, Alfa, or EVO, there was a very nice QV that showed up once in a while, an MR2 turbo, several porkers, a large number of classic cars from the '60s and '70s, etc.

But there were the usual number of civics, camrys, SUVs and "sport" pickups. And one guy who commutes in a Winnebago. (go figure)

The CEO is just one of the people who aren't into cars.

It's worse now that I'm working a multi-company project in the DC area. Other than my 328, a boxter, a small Merc SL of some kind, a vette, and a couple of ricers, about the only thing to notice in that parking garage is all the mangled fenders.

(Well, there's a nice '70-71 Challenger sitting under a tarp in a corner, but I'd guess that belongs to someone on the building or parking management staff.)

The company closed that MA plant, and moved people to a new facility a couple of miles away with a covered parking garage. (They never could get the drainage to work in that old open parking lot.)


The funny thing is that I never saw the QV at the plant until I started driving my 328 to work.

I wonder if he was afraid to drive it to work, before I reset the standard.
(Or whether seeing the 328 inspired someone to buy a Ferrari of his own.)

 

Best first words ever. Drinks are on me if we ever meet!

 

Dear Ferraristi,

I saw this thread and just had to respond! Wow, what posts...from the human condition, religion to class warfare.

My take, simple, if it what you own, drive it. I don't have a "normal car" what should I do to please the "restless natives" ...take the bus?

Come on, most of us American Ferrari owners are self-made. We worked very hard to have what we have. We didn't listen to anyone when we took the risk of that new business or listen to the naysayers("keep your day job ") ......why would we listen NOW !?!?!?

I drive my 91 Testarossa everyday as a daily driver. When I'm not driving my Ferrari, I drive my 97.5 Lamborghini Diablo Roadster. I run errands, go the bank, pick up groceries and my favorite....the fast food drive thru. They get rained on, bugs on the noses and dirt in the wheelwells. I, like the TV commercial..." let me get you all dirty....so I can clean you up all over again"

When I drive my cars, I have a big smile on my face. Not because of what others think, but if I have to get from point A to B.... might as well have some fun getting there.

Ask yourself, do you keep the fine china and silverware in the cabinet for guests? ...Or do you use it everyday and enjoy it. I use my china everyday...I give the guests the paper plates.


Shamile

Freeze...Miami Vice

Disclamer: This post is being written with a sence of humor...not an attitude.....please don't take it toooo seriously.

 

I would never allow my passion for sports cars to interfere with my job and income. My customers would freak if I drove a Ferrari every day. I need income more than satisfying some ego driven behavior. So drive a car that your customers can relate to, and save your passion for the weekends. This is an absurd thread, are you going to sacrifice sales just to shove your Ferrari in somebody's face?

 

There's is nothing absurb at all, just a very pertinent social commentary on our society. I think the point is that the broader culture somehow looks down on success as evidenced by an exotic car. It has nothing to do with satisfying an ego need to show your success, rather, the sad state of affairs where you fear sacrificing business performance because you might engage someone's jealousy by driving your exotic car. Thankfully I have come to terms with those kinds of issues personally and I don't really care what anyone else thinks. If their jealousy prevents them from doing valid business with me, that's their loss not mine. I believe that I am very good at what I do and I provide real value to anyone who chooses to do business with me. The car I drive or the cothes I wear or where I live have no bearing on the value derived from my enterprises. I think that the more people who decide they should be measured on their performance and ethics rather than on appearances, the sooner our society can grow up and applaud success rather than deride it.

 

Depends on the situation. Some hedge fund guys I know all drive high end cars, no big deal. If there's a large margin between what people make, it's a little bit of a slap in the face, if you ask me. Not all are able to afford such a car and flaunting it, per-sey, is a little insulting. Some will disagree with me, but I know how it is as I work for a firm that frowns on such displays of success. Sure it's okay to own a big boat or vacation home, but drive something incredible, not nice. I don't agree with it, but that's the way it is folks.

 

I'd find someplace else to work, like your own place, where you don't need to "frown" on anything. I am also not sure how working hard and earning your possessions is "flaunting" anything. Weren't we all taught to work hard in order to succeed?

 

Yes.

Problem is only the Ferrari owners were paying attention. Everyone else wants a handout...

 

I've built my career on the principle of making my shareholders and my top employees wealthy. Their opinion of me has nothing to do with the cars I drive.

 

+1 -- most people are simply uninformed -- i have my M3, which i bought used, for about 31k. I (currently) work in a department where is paid relatively equally...i have my car set as the desktop/background on my work computer -- when I got it, people would come by and ask me (rudely) "how the hell can you afford that?" or "how much did you pay?", which I chose not to answer -- the fact was, that a lot of the people i work with are driving brand new "regular" 3-series cars, huge, expensive SUVs, and SRT-8's, all of which costed more than mine did.

If they simply educated themselves on things rather than blindly jumping into everything they do/say/buy, i think they'd all be much better off.

Of course, different strokes for different folks. some people have huge houses and modest cars, but there's also people with really nice cars living in an apartment...whatever your priorities/preferences are...

of course, if you have both, then lucky you

 

bingo. I really honestly believe that most people, if they wanted it enough, could afford/buy/own an F or L-car within their lifetime, if it was a goal. I imagine that in my lifetime, I will own a 360CS or a 430..sure, they'll be 10, 15, or even 20 year old cars by the time I can have/afford one...but at least i'll have something that I'd always wanted. and the inevitable BS from other [uninformed] people that goes along with it.

i mean, look at the 3x8 cars...well within the reach of most people [though maintenance might be another story?] in either case, people simply don't know [or don't care to know/research] how much it might've costed. they see the horse and get all green.