Will the 355 eclipse the 360 as they both age?

+1

My local dealer actually pointed this possibility out when I got my 355, although he also threw the production numbers into the mix e.g. many more 360's than 355's = more exclusive. Eye of the beholder I think...

 

Cosign + 1

 

The 355 will one day reach icon status in the same way the Dino has today.

That being said, down the road people will fondly recall the 360 as a really good car and a very reliable Ferrari. I can see Ferrari owners referring new owners to the 360 the same way they refer them to 328s and 308s today.



Just my .02

 

I think so, once 'newness' is less important compared to styling and performance. The 355 is drop dead gorgeous and fixed all the problems in the 348.

 

Yup, no problems with the 355.

 

As for styling, it re,ains to be seen which car weathers time better. Although it depends on what the inheriting generation thinks. My age group seems to prefer the 355, but who can say what the 20 somethings might think in 10 or so years.

What might really affect this, however, is how the 355 ages with respect to maintenance compared to the 360. The 355 has a lot of cool stuff but when it breaks, can get expensive, mostly due to parts availability and cost. The 360 is untested in this area because it is not that old of a model. I have not really followed the 360 section, which maybe one should do before one offers an opinion on this. I have noticed that the 360 generally needs the attention of the dealer more than an independent so there's that.

 

The 355 is a much prettier car than the 360, and I agree that as cars age their performance stats become less important to their desirability (e.g., Dino 246...)

But, I think they both have too much technology to be classic. Neither has held value all that well so far, and I'm not sure we should count on "lasting value" for cars of the modern era. That goes for new Porsches as well. Who wants an 18-year old sat nav system, digital dash, vintage traction control, etc.? It's all disposable in the way my old laptop PC was.

 

The 355 has held its value very well in the last year. The 360 has dropped like a rock. I have been around both cars quite a bit lately and the more im around the 360, the more it resembles a tin can. Everyone I talk to lately loves the 355 and seem to want the 95 version. The 2.7 pulls very well compared to the 5.2. I can see that finding a well sorted 95 355 in the near future will be very hard to do. One must also remember that there were quite a few more 360s built and most of them came to North America whereas the lower number 355s are spread out around the world. BTW im talking GTB here not the Sunday driver spyders.

 

You're right, but newer cars typically have a steeper depreciation curve.

 

I think the 355 Will be like a mid year vett compared to a 68 and newer vettes.I also think the 348 will go up in the future for the same reason .the 348 spider is a great car and has the manual top.

 

In my mind (and many others) the introduction of the 355 marked the point in time where Ferrari refocused on being a producer of very serious, ultra high performance sports cars. They finally shed the gold chain/Rolex imagery that accompanied earlier cars featuring 'adequate' performance. Think 5 valves per cylinder in the mid 90's....amazing. 1.75 hp per cubic inch? Longitudinal transaxle? Ground effect underbody? 8,500 rpm redline from a 3.5 liter V8? A flat crank producing spine-tingling aural pleasure?

And the Berlinetta is as pure a design from Pininfarina as they have ever done.

All hallmarks of a classic and meaingful performance car.

 

and, oh, how about a 'direct from the track to your showroom' technology transfer with the F1 paddle shift system? Do you recall how significant that was?

 

Possibly. But the CS will be the classic everyone will remember from this time. It has low production numbers and is prettier than the 360 or the 355. The CS will be the one that everyone wants eventually...

 

Yeah, the CS should be a classic for the simple fact there aren't many around. The 360 and 430 on the other hand just doesn't have the look. I know I keep thinking about upgrading to a 430 (just because its newer) but I just don't like the look as much as my 355 coupe. A Ferrari has to scream Ferrari when it passes by you and a 355 does exactly that.

 

You forgot the best part...solid ultra lightweight titanium connecting rods to allow that 8500 redline! Again a production car first as far as I know (as was the F1)

 

nothing that isn't permanently fixable for reasonable-for-Ferrari cost The ONLY downside is the engine out every 4 yrs (my plan) for belts. But that means due to placement the clutch is easy to change as the oil *almost*. 360 clutch is a project...

 

Grrr...

lol

 

I think they made 1,300 of them (?) There will be a lifetime supply of mint, red 360 CS's for anyone reading this.

Aesthetically, IMHO, and at the risk of receiving a free lifetime supply of hair gel:

355 GTB/GTS: 8 out of 10 points aesthetically
355 Spider: 7.5 out of 10
360 CS/Modena: 5 out of 10
360 Spider: 4 out of 10 (just can't love the headrest fairings...)

250 GT SWB: 10 out of 10
246 GTS: 10 out of 10
308 GTS: 9 out of 10
California: 4 out of 10
Fiero body kit '355': 0 out of 10
etc.

 

The lowly 308 does not belong on that list. Unless it's a 1976 glass model.

 

Interesting thread. I think the number of viable, well maintained 355's is going to drop and due to the lower production volume opens the door to the possibility of increased desirability. I see quite a few 355's pop up for sale that truly need A LOT of work (check out eBay, etc.) and at the current prices, most people aren't willing to spend the money to get them back into proper order. Over time, this will take the toll on the amount of viable cars on the road and then I think we'll see supply/demand economics set in which could potentially drive up the value. Will it surpass the 360? Don't have the good of a crystal ball.

 

Prices may creep closer and closer, but I don't see the 355 passing the 360.

Sure, there are more 360's available, but in the end, with all the modern Ferraris, I think styling and performance will dictate price, along with the perception of potential maintenance issues down the road.

Dealers (at least the couple I have visited) have steered me away from the 355 and towards the 360 in the past. Even the service guys thought the 360 was a better car, and a better deal. I doubt that has changed.

Would I but a 355 having owned a 360? Nope. Despite the 355 being the sweetest sounding modern Ferrari on the road, I would not put one in my garage. And I'm certain that modern Ferrari buyers who are aware of the cost issues associated with owning one will gravitate towards the 360.

Could they end up only a few grand apart in price? Yes. And I think that will further spur sales of used 360s, helping to keep them ahead of the 355.

Just my $.02.

DM

 

Get your facts straight Bullfighter.

They made 370 of the CS's for the American Market - about 35% have been destroyed/
damaged beyond repair by tracking/racing/idiots/. That leaves around 250 cars.

Their are more ragged out 355's on the market than there are CS's total. That perception will drag down the value for most people as you are just as likely to see a junker as a nice one.

CS will be the classic. 355 is just a nice production car.

My opinion....

 

On Monday I followed a 355B on the track and the ass end of a 355 can only be compared to the most beautifull back end on the best women in the world. Yesterday I followed behind a 246 for about 20 minutes and I began to see why nobody wanted to buy these cars in the early 70s. The Dino is nice now because it is rare. But as for looks....forget it. As for the 348...sad indeed. When the drawings came out for that car and were presented to Enzo......He said that Ferrari will never build that ugly car. He died shortly after and they went ahead with the 348 and thus Ferrari stock fell like a rock. The 355 was built and Ferrari made the same sort of comeback that they did on the track with Mike.

 

Was that in 1999 by any chance?
And the service guys were right, the F360 is a better car. But the F355 is a better Ferrari