Do you drive your Fcar to work?

I work from home ... so "yes"



I don't take it to meetings much though - certain dealers yes, but not for most.

Jedi

 

I definitely would never take one of my cars including the F car to work.... Not so much worried about my girls that work for me, they are all paid well and know the hours that I put in to aquire what I have especially my car collection.. Its the patients that would be breaking my eggs as im sticking them in the face with a needle.... Then collecting their money on the way out the door. Im proud of accomplishments but a bit modest with my patients I guess... They got me here and I would never want to offend them... Eric

 

Unfortunately there is a common misconception that every Ferrari costs $1,000,000. In my opinion everybody on here should not be ashamed of being successful I'm sure we all worked hard to get where we are at financially. Unfortunately that is not the general consensus of most people. I personally drive mine to work every day not to flaunt my success but to enjoy it. My employees and patients know how hard I have worked to get where I am. They also know that I treat them fairly. Don't have a poverty complex because of hard work that has afforded you some of the finer things in life.

 

If I ever get my 456 out of service, I intend to drive it to work, a small manufacturing company that I own. I worked hard to build the company, often beside them running machines and building prototypes. I bought it to drive. I'll take my chances.

 

You mis-read....the raffle (or employee of the quarter or whatever) would drive the car with the owner as passenger......Trust me, and I know I'm different than you guys income wise....it would be an amazing thrill.

Part of the problem of the wealthy class is that they want to insulate themselves......be passionate, part of being a leader is to inspire others. Not all these workers could get a 430 or 360, but with the right inspiration and will to suceed I'm convinced many of his workers could get a 308 or Mondial.

 

I've nor had the oppoertunity o read this thread. i work hard. I play hard. i work my fanny off.

I have to work. i make my car work.

I have a beautiful 456NGT. I tell people that I work and make my car work. It seems obvious to them that I work hard. And the car is not always spotless. Looking like it is actually used.

That draws a raised eyebrow sometimes. But mostly understanding. That this too, is reality.



It is just that reality with a Ferrari is better than without. The work is likely harder though. A small trade off perhaps.

 

I don't drive my 360 to work, primarily because I work mostly with women that don't seem to care about the condition/maintenance of their own vehicle, and typically swing doors open with a coffee in one hand, purse on one arm, book bag/briefcase on the other arm, chatting on the cell and whack the other persons car in the process. I have a total of 7 door dings from my work parking lot on my truck (not that I keep track or anything) and just a few weeks ago, somebody scraped my front bumper taking a nice bit of paint off.....
Only ONCE in the 12 years I have worked at this same place has someone offered to pay for the dent.
No way I would take the 360......

 

This is a fair question and entirely based on what you do and your personality.

I think most people are "ok" with someone owning a fancy/weird/cool/expensive car as long as they're passionate about it and down to earth. Using your (insert hobby - watches, cars, boats, airplane, whatever) to rub it in someone's face that you're somehow better than they are is dick. Plain and simple.

I once worked for a person I really didn't care for - but the only thing that kept our work relationship "afloat" was the passion we shared for cars. I got away with more than anyone else because of it.

 

Some of my customers are with a low fixed income and some are facing monatery crisis so because I respect and understand them I will not take my 456GT to work even if all the time and efforts that I invest in my company as many of you do can fully justify it.
As for some of my high income customers it is ok for them to drive high end MB-BMW and Bentleys but they are suspicious of your charging fees even if your "old" Ferrari is of the same budget as your run of the mill Lexus, go figure.

 

Gary, I am in the exact same situation as you with similar size manufacturing company with most employees making near minimum wage. I never will bring my 430 here either for the same reasons. Even when I change my daily drivers every couple years, Mercedes of some kind, there are a couple guys that immediately go online and see how much they cost, word spreads around and I usually get a couple snide comments. People have Google Earth'd my house and also had something to say. It doesn't bother me but I really try to keep a low profile by dressing way down, don't wear a nice watch and don't engage in politics or money woes with employees. So no, in my situation, nothing good would come of employees seeing a Ferrari no matter what it's really worth.

 

I think I'd be worried about the company's future, if the company owner could only afford a rusty Corolla.

I drive my old 328 to work frequently. But I paid less than the price of a new A4 for it.

When I first drove the 328 to the office, a millwright stormed over to demand how I could afford "a better car than the CEO".
I informed him that the CEO drove a Buick: *Everybody* has a better car.

This was the same guy who asked if I traded the Ferrari on "another exotic" when I drove the old Alfa Spider to work, one day.

It turns out I started a trend, though. A QV and a Mondial started showing up in the parking lot, after that.

E.g.: Drive your Ferrari to work, and it'll tell the employees it's okay for them to drive *their* Ferraris.


But mostly it comes down to your commute. If you spend a half hour in gridlock, why waste the Ferrari on that run?

But if the commute has some nice corners, then: Why did you buy it, if not to drive it?

In my experience, things that are "politically correct" are rarely "correct" by any other metric.

It really comes down to who defines you: Do you define yourself, or do you hide in the middle of the herd?
Building a company that employs people is not the work of the herd dwellers.

 

I work for a large construction company as a PM, the Boss is very low key has a Porsche, everyone knows it but he never drives it, in fact he drive a Ford Edge to work. I on the other hand could never and would never drive my 360 to work except after hours, I just prefer not to let me workers know although many have heard but never seen it. Word just travels fast I guess when you own and F-Car

 

You're assuming everyone has an interest in cars. Trust me, the vast majority don't. People are jealous. That's the way it is. Most people will respond by saying "nobody gives a **** about what you drive. Want to reward me, pay me more you arrogant *******." You'd also hear "I work my ass off so this ****ing guy can drive around in a Ferrari."

Raffling off a chance to drive your car would be perceived as showing off. I've always thought the boss should never make anyone feel like what he has is better than what the workers have. You want to be part of the team. You want workers to want to work for you, not resent you.


Mark

 

Awww, I'm sad to hear this. Hopefully, you get many many more reasons to drive the car than these few occasions you have brought up. Good luck, and personally, I think your decision not to bring your car to the plant is a good one. It's the opposite of what I do, but then again, our daily routines are quite different!

 

I don't drive it to work because I don't want it sitting in the sun for 8 hours (it gets VERY hot around here in the summer), nor do I want it to get door dings.

If I had a private spot, with no other cars around it, and it was in the shade, I'd drive it work regularly.

 

That's a funny description.. because it depicts like 99% of the women that drive a C-class Lexus, or 3-series that I know!

 

Well of course not everybody has an interest in cars.....think that comes under Duh in the dictionary....LOL

The point was the OP thought he would have trouble with the employee perception, and my (along with others) response was once they see it a few times it will be just another rig in the parking lot.....and if the owner can find some way to actually involve the interested employees in the experience it could be a team-building experience.

As an employee, I would have no issue with feeling the boss was showing off by sharing his passion....so I think your perception is a little shallow.

I was once invited on a fishing trip on the boss' 50' or so boat as a token of a job well done, was I all mopey about what he had versus what I didn't? Hell no, I had a great time and I remember that guy very fondly.

 

Maybe most can't afford a Ferrari, but lots of people could care less about Ferraris or other exotic cars. Living in NYC vicinity my entire life - 56 years - except when I went to college in NC, I have seen people who like boats, planes, golf and many other hobbies which take loads of money.

There are way more people in the US alone who can afford a new, used or crushed Ferrari than exist in the entire world. 1% of 300,000,000 is 3,000,000 people not a chance Ferrari has made 3,000,000 cars and lots have more than 1 Ferrari, like me, and I'm no 1%er. Just sayin. Ferraris are great cars and I have always loved them, but they aren't everyones dream.

I would not drive my car to work as it's not the car I would want to spend driving in traffic, but i don't care if anyone takes theirs to work, just gives me another person to speak to about Ferraris.

 

Some people like me, saved for 40 years to buy a Ferrari, no freakin way I am NOT driving my dream.

To be fair, I have owned "almost Ferrari's" during those 40 years. First a FIAT Dino Coupe back in the late 1970's then a FIAT Dino Spider, so I had the motor just not the car. And my wife and I had a real live bank account known as the Ferrari account that we tried to regularly put money into and finally one day the Dino was worth enough that with the cash in the account a 360 could be had. It was hard selling the Dino but I don't regret it and I am proud of my 360 and DRIVE IT.

Most people ignore the car anyway, its kind of weird the first few months I drove it, I was always noticing people taking pictures, looking at it and now no one does. I think it was my imagination when it was new to me either that or they are bored seeing it.

I do agree with traffic, I avoid driving my 360 on days I work "normal" hours where I might be stuck in rush hour, but I specifically changed my work hours to avoid rush hour most of the time.

Its probably the greatest car on the road and it is the most beautiful car on the road and life is too short to not drive the car you want to drive, you own one, you should drive it.

And Curt, you missed my point, anyone with a job can own a Ferrari if they want to and are willing to sacrifice enough, I didn't say they can buy it today, it might take a few decades of savings but they can do it, I did, I don't necessarily mean the guy working at McDonalds but with a decent job. Most (All?) don't have the patience and are not willing to sacrifice for one, but they could. But I will readily admit that I have a wife who shares my passion.

 

The weather and time of year is always a consideration for me as well. My opportunities are limited to late fall through early spring. And usually on half days of work.

 

My comment wasn't about peoples desire to buy a Ferrari, it was whether they could if they wanted.

Speaking of NYC... the city that you can't buy a 500 square foot apartment for less than $500,000? Where 3 and 4 people live cramped in a studio just to pay the rent, if not in a rent controlled apartment? There is very very little that can be extrapolated from NYC to anywhere else in the country except perhaps LA or SF... so I don't even think that a city where $50k/year means poverty is even relevant in any discussion about the 97% of the other American population and what they earn.

 

Ah. I see your point.

I just wouldn't overestimate how much money 80% of the population actually sees. I think its much worse than we think.

 

Everyone at my work knows about it now.

I work at a dealership, so I brought it in to use the lift and change the oil / inspect the car underneath.

Everyone had nice things to say. There are a couple people who hold similar jobs to mine, that are not financially well-off, so I do worry they may talk about it behind my back, but they also do know this is a hobby and passion of mine.

 

I do not, a few of my employees have an idea, but I deny it. No need for them to know, plus considering my age, it's very unbecoming to drive a car like that to work.