Why are Ferrari owner's so obsessed with original tool kit, etc.?

I really never understood people who dont get this. If there is only one of something for sale, and you and I are bidding against each other to own it, one of us will either want it worse than the other, or have enough money so as not to care, but either way only one of us are going to own it.

That tool kit may not seem worth $16K to you, and functionally its not. But thats not the point. The point is that the tools in a Ferrari change from year to year and model to model, and those who study these things can take one look and know if you have the "correct" tools for that particular machine. When your trying to win a trophy at some place like Pebble Beach, and if the correct tool kit could make all the difference between you or I winning that trophy, ask yourself how badly you will want it then. Its like asking what the dried up useless brushes Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa with are worth. They are worth whatever some guy is willing to pay to outbid the competition, nothing more, and nothing less. Or price a Stadavarious. The German ones built later are better made and supposedly sound much better, and you can find them for under $100. But I would imagine having a Strad in your collection would be quite an achievement, and something you would probably be willing to pay more than $100 to own.

 

But you can still wash your car with Italian water

http://www.finewaters.com/Bottled_Water/Italy/Index.asp
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Sorry, I did not know someone actually bought it for that amount. My mistake. I still stand by my statement that people ask a lot for items that never get sold, and it's also possible it's a shill bid that won the kit, or the transaction was not completed, at least based on past experience. On your comment about the NSX, it brought a smile to my face (as a 3 time NSX owner). I love the car, and actually prefer it in many ways to a 355 (styling included, especially inside). That said, I also have a 63 split window corvette, and my reason to own it has nothing to do with the ride, power, handling, etc. It's 100 percent about being the coolest looking car I have ever seen. I aspire to own a Ferrari for a couple of reasons, which is to see if they are all they are hyped up to be, and for the sound of the motor at 8500 RPMS! In the case of both cars I actually own, I have spent stupid money for odd items (nearly $1000 for vintage literature on the Corvette) and a few hundred for rare books produced by Acura when they first came out. To most it would be a complete waste of $$ but to me it's worth it even though I am about the only person who even knows I have the stuff. In a case where someone was having a vehile judged, I can see them spending money that I would think is crazy to make it perfect, since I have seen money paid for correct corvette parts (particularly 63 Z06 items) that were way more than the car cost when it was new.

 

When buying a Ferrari, my reason for wanting a toolkit or other original accessory is simple.. I want them with the car because when the time comes to sell the car, the next buyer will as for a price concession if I don't have them! I also think if a car is well-cared for, it should have the original toolkit, and also would want it for originality.

 

When I buy a Ferrari I want the car to have the tool kit and books as if I bought it at the factory. The maintenance records indicates if the car was serviced per the maintenance schedule. When I sold my first Ferrari, the buyer asked for the same thing.

 

You dont quote movie lines very accurately either...
However, I was thinking the exact same thing... but I was thinking it about YOU!

If you cant realize the value of keeping the integrity of such a prestigeous car intact, then you clearly have WAY more dollars than sense!
''obsession'' is the LAST word I would think of to describe people that respect & maintain thier Ferrari's... I call it true love.

Now, I certainly have changed and upgraded some of the parts of my car... BUT, its a driver, not a coucours car.
And I still HAVE all the original parts & peices... except for the original window sticker... dammit.

 

I completely disagree with this statement. You might as well use the same arguement about tires. What about cars that have been repainted or seats re-dyed?

Anyway, Ferrari isn't the only make that has stupidly high prices for original tool kits.

 

Agree 100% you see the same thing with most older collectibile cars example the originality of the car, for a 67 Vette owner showing his car at the Bloomington Gold show is not the same issue for the owner of a 2007 Vette they are usually into the car type for different reasons

 

Actually, I will submit that the first owner of that 67 Vette bought it for many of the same reasons as the 2007 guy.

The rarity of the few who kept everything together (Bloomington Survivor) or those who put it back together correctly (Bloomington Gold) is what makes this expensive and rare.

Excuse me, I am having sort of a Corvette morning.

James

ZR1, 1995, black/black, #401.

 

Try selling a Rolex without the original box and instructions - see how much less you get for it !

 

I guess for me it's not the money, because I don't think the price difference would be material (especially if my car sold to some normal guy and not a Ferrari lunatic like some people here... )

Mostly it's a sense of stewardship. I know my 328 is a special car, and it's only around because the first owner took amazing care of it while it was in his collection. Sadly, if you look around at all the Porsche 356s that have lost their books, keys, etc. over the years, you realize that part of the nostalgia is gone with them, and the car wasn't really regarded as anything worth preserving/saving. The 308/328 was always my favorite car when I was growing up, so I have more respect for them than I can rationally explain. If the tools are missing, it's a kind of profiteering off the car - just feels wrong.

 

If you are hard core collector - and you have the car without toolkit - and you know the toolkit eksist - ofcourse you MUST have the toolkit, the salebrochure, the workshopmanual, the sparepartcatalouge etc.
Collectors is crazy people - but as long they feel good with the collecting, the hunting and to own rare things its a part of life. Keep hunting.
I understand the point with the absolute crazy price for things you do not use.

 

I perfer to keep my cars as original as possible. I have a feeling that Enzo Ferrari knew more about building cars than I ever would know. Anyway how can you improve on perfection.

 

In the case of a concours car it's simple. It adds point to your score. (well, saves deductions) 95 points=Platinum, and if your tools and books are missing, I think thats 3-4 points right out of the gate. Pretty tough to stay perfect from there.

But it's more than that. There's value too. A dino with books and tools is worth more than one without.

And finally, there's the, "I want to have everything associated with the car" syndrome that gets to collectors, concours and regular owners alike.

I've spent considerable time getting my car right. Fortunately it had tools, so I just had to get the books, pouch, etc. But there's a sense of accomplishment in that.

I have the borchures, probably every article written in English (ever) and all the published (again in English) books available for a Dino. It's been a ton of fun for me, and interesting too. And it all started with getting the books and pouch right.

DM

 

James dont disagree on why the original owner purchased the car I was trying to get to the point of why originality can be important particularly to the restorer or those who want to show their cars. As an owner of 5 Vettes including a 67 that turned into a hanger queen I know your feeling on having a Corvette morning.

Martin

 

Right, Martin. Completely agree; and probably the Corvette hobby is pretty close to Ferrari in the sense that originality and authenticity are VERY important to the serious collecters.

But, I guess the original point of this thread was along the lines of "just how much is the original tool kit, manuals, etc. really WORTH"? The poster may have been having a little sticker shock to know that these accessories could go 10 to 15% of the price of the car itself. So the moral of the story has to be - don't throw anything away that came with the car!

Corvette morning came because the 20th was the announcement of the new ZR1, and I drove my 1995 ZR1 in honor of it.

And then Jimpo and the other Ferrari guys denounced me at the club lunch later that day for not bringing the Testarossa!

 

Saw the ZR1 announcement it was the King of the Hill fir sure it will be interesting to see what it does to the ZO6 I have a 2007 C6 Coupe and I get grief from my buddies on that I also had a 1990 TR my first Ferrari and the one that had me in awe of the shape from the first time I saw it.