The Official "Jay Leno Doesn't Like Ferraris" Thread

Does a Fiat 500 count? http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=250029261&ocid=ansautorel1

 

When I worked for Maranello Concessionaires I sold a 512 BB to a taxi driver......he arrived in his taxi......He had tried to buy a car from the London appointed dealers but had the same bums rush treatment......... Anyway, deal concluded and it was only afterwards we learned he owned a fleet of over 100 taxi cabs but still enjoyed driving one occasionally......Never judge a sausage by its skin !!!

 

Or, if you like sausage, don't watch it being made.

 

Jay doesn't need Fiat either. I watched the auction on live feed on my iPad. The most amazing story from that auction was the sale of a 57( I think ) 250 Caliornia spider. The auctioneer said, and I paraphrase, " let's start the bidding, do I hear 5 million,and a bidder in the back said 6 million". It was very quiet and no one made another bid. The hammer fell and that sale was over in no time. He probably over paid but there was no doubt who was getting that car.

 

+1
Thats the proper way to handle it IMO.

 

Why do people consider it a mark of distinction to walk into a car dealership looking like a bum and expect to get any respect?

I would ignore you too.

 

Just so happens that the wealthiest people out there couldn't care less about what they dress up like, they got no one to impress, simple as that.

The same thing happened to the father of a close friend. Oil dirty hands all the time, unshaven and always t-shirt and jeans. Owns a relatively big plumber company. Went to a car dealer to make a big deal. Got ignored, went to the next dealer and bought several cars within hours.

 

Perhaps it's the easiest way for them to determine who are the genuinely nice, decent people who are happy to look after customers regardless of their background, from the seedy, arse licking suck ups who think they are something special and have a right to look down their noses at others?

At the end of the day, the guy walking into the Dealership "looking like a bum", may well be a multi-Millionaire, whereas the guy working in the Dealership is merely a car salesman! (no matter how far up his own arse he may be!)

That says a lot about you!

 

Dealers can choose to be snobs to their own detriment.

I work for an art gallery in Brazil, and I've been saying this to some of the other people working at the gallery for a while, now. There's a lot of "new money" out there, and a lot of the times they haven't had "etiquette" taught to them from a young age, but they have the cash in hand, and many times are eager to start a long-term relationship. Opportunity cost of treating people like crap can be very high. All you'll lose by treating them nicely is a few minutes of your time, which - if you are a car dealer - let's face it, is never as precious as you think it is. On the other hand...

 

It warms my heart that he regards them this way. I find it distasteful how Ferrari treats customers, real customers, by making them buy this to get that, jump through hoops and wait in line. Ostensibly powerful folks meekly submit to this crap. Jay has a big $ tatooed on his forehead so I'm sure it's even worse for him.
He admits the car is great but has too much dignity to participate in those games. Plenty of others who will respect a paying customer.

 

Well then they shouldn't complain when they get ignored. Don't want to deal with people who have so little self respect that they look like pigs.

 

I dont get all the hype with this. He has made a stand about how he feels and stuck to it. For me if I loved a car and was treated that way I would find somewhere else to buy it from where I felt the valued my business. I would not let myself miss out because of how i was treated. There is good and bad everywhere and sometimes you have to take the time to find the good. Is it fair? No it isnt but it is just the way it is.

 

Why does anyone care that Jay Leno does not own a Ferrari?

{That is all}

 

i would care if he bought one for me.

 

The picture is in Brazil. Sure looks like my hometown of São Paulo.. interesting.

 

Nobody or at least me.

 

That he doesn't own a Ferrari is a matter of profound indifference to me.

 

BTW if they don't give a crap about Jay Leno type money I seriously doubt they would care about yours no matter how poorly you're dressed.

People will judge you based upon how you look and present yourself. Welcome to the real world.

 

You are so right. I think it's a little bit of an insecurity in some cases F.U I'm so successful I don't even need to look respectable to impress you. My retort would be " sir, you don't ".

I think nmost people who "dress down" on purpose make it clear pretty fast that there are serious customers and not tire kickers.

 

+1.
The way you dress shouldn't determine your net worth. Rich guys like to blend in or be casual. Just because you're worth millions, doesn't mean you have to dress in tux and look rich to be able to buy a car. How hard is it for a guy who isn't able to buy a ferrari to dress up nice? Most people who aren't millionaires still have good looking clothes. So how do you determine a potential customer from an admirer, you talk to them and ask if they need help. A simple quick question can get that answer and it wastes a minute of time, but it will probably save a comission check a couple times.

My local dealer is always very nice to an ordinary guy like me which really says a lot. A salesman always comes up to me and entertains any questions I might have. That's how you build a long term relationship with a future buyer


As to why Leno doesn't have one, he didn't like the customer service and didn't want to put up with that BS. Fair enough

 

I've talked to several long term F car dealer salesmen and they all say the guys who dress up to come in are the posers and their best customers just dress casual like you would never know you they have money.

I'm not saying you can come in looking like a homeless person but they know the real people from the fakes in a few sentences.

 

So far, every expensive car I purchased was purchased while I was wearing jeans and sneakers. I get a kick out of watching the salesman lose their commission as they try to "qualify" me and ignore me. Then the salesperson who reluctantly approaches, but just tries to do the right thing and ask if I need anything, winds up going home with the commission that day, along with a nice tip to boot. It's pretty funny to watch sometimes. The most obvious situation I had with this was when I bought a Porsche. What made it worse is that I looked very young for my age. I was about 30 when I bought that car, but I looked about 20. It was funny watching the whole thing go down. I watched one guy intentionally take a long path to where he was going while avoiding any eye contact or noticing that I was in the showroom. Then the other salesman looked over at him hoping he was going to help me, but had a frustrated look on his face as he approached me from far away, realizing that he was "stuck" with me. He didn't notice that I saw the whole thing, LOL. I do give him credit because even though I knew how he felt inside, he put it all aside, and approached me like a true gentleman who appeared like he actually wanted to help me and answer any of my questions. Once I told him I was ready to buy, and I was armed with my numbers and research, his face was priceless! I caught him way off guard, it was as if he saw Santa.

I've learned over the years that you can't judge a book by it's cover. You NEVER know what someone is worth by looking at them. I'm not saying to have no self respect and go in smelly and dressed like a bum, but simple clean clothes should never be a problem. I tend to laugh at people that like to "act" rich...even if they are.

Getting back on topic. If Jay Leno was treated poorly, the dealers/salesman are just plain jerks! They know he has money, and they know he is a car guy. That is a perfect recipie for a sale.
My guess is that they figured he has a lot of money, and tried to rip him off one way or another and he got mad. I don't blame him if that's the case. I don't care how much money I have, I am still good at math. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have money to begin with. Just because Jay Leno has money, the dealers shouldn't try to take advantage of that. He is just another customer. All customers should be treated fairly and honestly.

 

Because he has superb automotive taste, which would imply that owning a ferrari falls more and more into the arriviste category.

 

In case anyone is interested, here in Europe nobody gives a dang about what Jay Leno says because nobody knows him.

So he has a great collection without Ferraris? So what? Others have a great collection of ONLY Ferraris.

 

It gives us something to talk about.