FML/ Ferrari Classiche Program Worthless

I kinda figured this type of thing was going to happen, but I kept my yap shut.

I service a lambo Countach that was the last documented Countach to be restored by the factory. This was done while under Chrysler's control, and the owner has a signed letter from Iaccoca himself declaring this car to be the last to be restored by the factory.

Needless to say the job was done terribly. I have found hardware missing on various components, serious flaws in the fuel system, poorly installed cooling system components, the list goes on for miles. He paid big money to have this car done at the factory. It was obviously not worth it. I'll bet the average joe could have done a far better job in a shed in his backyard.

Use caution.

 

Hmmmmm...maybe see the thread in the Vintage Section, he pretty much weighed in last week.......

 

< GASP ! ! ! ! ! ! > You mean . . . . IT'S JUST A MONEY GRAB ?!?!?!?!?! < feints >

My Boxer is proudly NON-classiche....and will remain that way. I've looked ver-r-r-r-r-ry closely, and I'm quite sure it's ALL Fiat under there.

Anyone else notice what happens when you put an a55 in the middle of a cliche? Appears that you get "cl(ass)iche".
Coincidence? Doubt it.

Gee, next thing you know, they'll tell their authorized dealers that they can not only keep their protected status, but they can wholly disregard MSRP and charge like a speculator.

 

yes, its a brilliant money maker which preys on low self esteem knuckle heads

 

It's for people who don't know enough about their own cars -- who don't know what they are looking at under the engine lid -- but want something to brag about at a concours. P.T. Barnum would be proud of Ferrari!

 

Been a while since I chimed in on Classiche, but Mr. Nye's comments in my original thread are spot on.

However, while I have absolutely nothing positive to say about Classiche itself, SpA/FNA is writing the rules when it comes to what's eligible for the Historic Challenge series. Every car was supposedly required to have a Classiche certification to run in the series. That was the original announcement. SpA/FNA backed off that. To this day, each car is now supposed to have a Classiche application on file. I'm not sure how many actually do at this point, though. Still, if you want to play in SpA's/FNA's sandbox, you need to adhere to their rules. As absurd as they are.

For me, Classiche is not important for authenticity, but it is as a gating factor for racing in the Historic Challenge. I can always run the cars in HSR, VSRA, and whatever else has a class, but if I want to show up at a Historic Challenge race, I need their blessing.

CW

 

While I have not applied to have my BB512i certified under the Classiche program, I think is a good idea in general. Corvettes have Bloomington Gold certification, so why not Ferrari Classiche certification. I suspect a lot of the anti-Classiche rhetoric is being driven by so called Ferrari experts who see their raison d'etre being threatened. I suspect that years from now a Classiche certification will be expected for the older valuable Ferraris...

 

While I can understand the threat to an "expert's" business and the inherent conflict of interest argument, I think there are plenty of other real and legitimate reasons for the dissatisfaction with Classiche.

CW

 

A fool and his money are soon parted.

 

Has anyone heard from the Chief Classiche cheerleader, Joe Sackey?

 

You miss the point on Bloomington Gold certification entirely. It is not done by the factory for profit, but by experts on the marque after judging the car as presented. I could correctly restore a Corvette in my garage and have it brought to Bloomington for judging and could easily achieve the rating. The Classiche cert costs much much more and is done for a profit. Entirely different ball of wax.

 

helloooo captain obvious

 

Weeeyyul-l-l-l-l-l.....good fer them.

I'm not big on playing in such a sandbox - from what I recall, they tend to be full of, um, turds. I think the whole Ferrari Cliche program effectively confirms that old cl(ass)iche.

Checked again last night - still a big ol' Fiat with horsies, through and through. I have no doubt.

 

If you choose to play in the F sandbox(excluding just ownership) you're going to pay handsomely for it one way or the other.

 

Something else no one has the guts to speak out about: the current "system" for selling and verifying cars. Certainly it benefits "proper Ferrari people," in Mr. Nye's words.

 

In what way? I understand some may want to buy a "Certified" car but other's don't seem to care. There are many Ferrari's that are not "Certified" that sell every day including some very "Big" ones. There are "Experts" who are involved in selling cars as well. IMHO the buyer should do his homework, deceide what's important to him, and say yes or no.

Personally I think the Internet has been very useful in promoting "Disclosure" and discussion, some more reliable/pertinent than others, and things are what they are. No More. No Less.

 

There are threads in the Vintage section about what color the nylon needs to be inside lock-nuts. Why? Because its worth Concourse points if your lock-nuts have the factory-correct colored nylon inserts (yellow, BTW - $7 each). I don't know if everyone interested in vintage machines actually has all the time and money in the world to do this kind of research on a 50-60 year old car - not all of us were taking notes back then.

 

"IMHO the buyer should do his homework"


My reply in the vintage section.

 

The Classiche Program at Ferrari and most major religions have a lot in common. Philosophically they sound like a really good idea, but in practice they are tainted by abuse of power and and greed.
If Classiche was a service that Ferrari provided to truly weed out the fake cars from the originals, it would be a superb resource for collectors, but when Ferrari becomes the sole arbiter of what is correct and what is not, and when only they can fix it and bless it, you have the emergence of unbridled power and avarice.

Examples of Ferrari Classiche rejecting perfectly good restorations of badly damaged cars is a case in point. Those owners should have no concerns about the validity of their cars in the marketplace. Real collectors, and by that I mean informed people, will recognize a well restored car, using all the correct pieces or fabricated excellent replacements where original parts don't exist anymore, as a genuine piece of Ferrari history and will value it accordingly, regardless of whether there is a Classiche stamp of approval on it or not.

Ferrari have, IMO, overstepped their bounds here. The original idea was good, but the execution of the idea has been awful, divisive and alienating, and all of the important people I know in the collector world regard Classiche as a joke.

I and others took boatloads of abuse in the F40 section when we said as much, particularly from dealers and dealer associates who clearly were under pressure to sell the program, as well as being the recipients of a commission for every sale. I am heartened to see important Ferrari collector world people like Mr Nye validating the opinion that Classiche is essentially a marketing scam designed to part people and their money in return for nothing valuable.