Ferrari Owner Stereotype

Thank-you for your kind and wise words

I hope in many years time, I'll be able to post a picture of it !


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Well I wanted a Ferrari when I was growing up watching Magnum P.I. (like everyone else). Then the Testarossa came out. I loved that car. I wasn't rich (still not) growing up and wasn't poor either. I just thought it would be really cool to own a Ferrari. I loved the 355 but when you could see the engine of the 360 through the glass I was sold.

I took a few chances with businesses had many sleepless nights but got to a place where I could afford a really nice "toy". I bought a 14 yo 360. I bought it more for me but I like the fact that other people like and enjoy it. I would prefer people wait until I park before swerving over to take pics and yell at me. It is a status symbol but more like a trophy for me. It's my own way of saying "I finally made it".

It's too damn bad more people won't go out and try to do whatever it takes to get one of their own. Instead they will make a judgement about my character without having any idea what I went through to get what I wanted.

 

Take a look around this site.
There ain't no setch animule as an "average" Ferrari owner.

I also haven't seen any consistency in the reception it gets from others.
There are those who are fascinated, those who don't care, and the rare hater.

But I get more negative reactions to my EVO than the Ferrari.


Personally, I started out with a Fiat as my first non-Detroit car.
(E.g: first car designed to go around corners. )
I went from Fiat to Alfas.
It was inevitable I'd wind up with a Ferrari eventually.
If for no other reason than all the other Italians disappearing from the US market.

 

Hopefully without sounding like euro pinko *** commie I am a little uncomfortable with people who buy a Ferrari as an ostentatious symbol of thier fnancial success.
To show off, basically.

However becoming financially successful and then treating yourself to something you have always wanted is completely different.
I have nothing but respect for those people.

Most owners in my experience fall into the latter catagory.

 

That said, when people see my (classic) Ferrari's I do want people to think I have good taste, so I'm showing off basically, just like the person i maligned above !
But is a less ostentatious snobby English way !

Is that better or worse ?

No wonder you had a revolution !

 

Hey, We all have to start somewhere. No one can claim they have more right to liking Ferrari then anyone else.

I was 16 and living in a small town in the middle of no where. There was maybe one or two people that owned a corvette in town. I was working my night time high school job in a restaurant one evening, got off early and was heading towards my parents car. There she was sitting in the parking lot, a red 365 GTC4. I remember just staring at it since I had never seen anything like it. And so my fascination with Ferrari began. In my final year of high school, the yearbook committee put together a poll of favorite XXXs for the graduating seniors. In a senior class of 300, for the question of favorite car, there were 299 votes for the corvette and one for the Dino 246.
Enjoy your fascination with Ferrari. It will haunt you the rest of your life.

 

There are so few owners where I live that it is hard to say. When you do see another Fcar owner they are driving so no opportunity to talk. Most owners here do no drive their Fcar very much. We do have a few Fcar collectors in town.

Am a member of FCA Rocky Mountain Region. We have about 100 members. My observations:

All are men. 90% are married and bring their wives. Who are the same age.
Older say 50s and up mostly. 60s is becoming common. We are getting older.
Maybe 20% under 50.
Most seem to be self-made men. Not aware of any trust funders
Not many wear bling, gold chains or tattoos that show
No one I know has more than one Fcar at a time. No Fcar collectors

Best

 

That actually seems to be with FCA these days. it seems to be much older and while we are getting older fca was always a bit older for me (mid 40's) at least ten years ago I thought I was much younger than the fca crowd but as I get older I am much closer now.

But I think the younger f crowd will probably be on the fringes of the fca crowd just because if the age gaps

 

Umm, the Region Director of your region and Chapter President has 4 Ferraris: a Daytona, F40, 348 Challenge, and 550 Maranello. Also of note per your observations, he is an under 40 self made man and a collector. There are several very notable collectors with multiple Ferraris in the Rocky Mountain Region who own very significant collectible cars from the 50's and 60's, among others. They have gone on to even win at Pebble Beach.

Also worth noting: Your region has over 230 members, several members have lots of tattoos, a couple wear gold chains, and the average age is upper 50's. And just about every one of them is a pretty nice person and fun to hang around (no data on that, just an observation).

Also, I don't think that there are any trust-funders in the region. If so, they are not active.

 

Who might that be?

 

You'd think I would be able to remember; his name is splashed all over the damn newsletter.

 

Re:
Your first sentence. I was at a "cars & coffee" yesterday looking at a shocking lime green Lambo chatting with a friend when someone said that the owner had been there earlier with a Maybach. Then he must have driven home to exchange "show-off" items.

 

It's one thing to enjoy sharing your taste or automobile related sophistication. It is another thing to flaunt wealth or money. I do believe that there is a difference.

 

Not always within our control though, eye of the beholder. Just owning any ferrari at all and showing up at a car show will cause some percentage of the folk around you to paint you with that brush.

 

Also regarding your "observations," I forgot to mention that your region has a few female members who are unmarried and are active members at Ferrari events.

 

I own mine because I appreciate the craftsmanship and beauty of the car. I have worked 2 part time jobs for 10 years to save for one. I am old school and have met many that own the car for the same reason. Though they may make more than I do, they are great because of why they bought the car. It is especially rewarding to be able to spend time with these like minded individuals and have a chance to drive together. Fortunately I have met many of them and consider myself very lucky. I think many of this group own older models.

 

I own mine purely for the driving experience. It literally makes me grin. I have poor social skills and anxiety so encountering people is a bit of an issue. I time my drives and routes to try and avoid large crowds. That said, I love to chat with kids and dads about the car, so that's good therapy for me. I actually sold my last one due to a major anxiety attack (I'm not worthy, why do I own this car, what do people think about me etc.) but feel in a better place now about this one

 

Yes, send me all your nice things so you're guilt free

 

I'm half Italian and an artist/musician. Yes, I am a singer and studied classical including opera and early music. I am a baritone. I am a Ferrari fan because they are Italian, and because of their history in racing, craftsmanship and design. Being an exotic car and a beautiful limited design make them works of art as well as performance machines. I am definitely into driving them and not garage queens. I grew up poor but our family improved in wealth with hard work and education. My first Ferrari was a 1/18 scale 512BB by Burago that my parents brought back from Italy on their second honeymoon. My grandparents had been back a few years before. I never dreamed I would own an actual f car until my wife passed away and left me with an incredible insurance package. Her last employer took good care of her and me over her 6 year battle with cancer. I would have gotten flying lesson and gone that route which I stopped for grad school at the end of the cold war when I was in the Air Force. But its way more expensive! I had been an F1 fan for a few years and started looking. I was shocked to see something I could really afford and maintain. More so, the 348 as the Baby Testarossa was a perfect tribute to my late wife who was a petite redhead. Since then, my loyalty to the brand and passion for racing and the SF heritage has only increased. Sure I like to be seen in it but I know it's not a new one or an actual TR. I am thrilled when I pass BMWs and Porsches which are all tricked out and loud or lit up. I have to laugh because in a mile or two we see another and another, several before they get where they are going. It's obvious THEY are posing and running the rat race of the "hot car" according to society and the media or someone else's standards. Somewhere along the way they wrote off the idea of the Ferrari or Lamborghini or McLaren and figured it was off the table. Or they had no clue? I've seen and heard a custom exhaust Z06 Stingray around town. But then I've see a couple more and one even parks at my storage area. I've never seen a pack of friends in those sport coupes, but that's the reason I would have one. I can cruise through the North End, wave and thumbs up to the valets, happy diners noticing the car and have a great time. That's why I own one. The pure joy you get in the reaction from kids is priceless. My next plan is to give rides for charity at the hospitals, especially where my wife was treated and at Children's. I also want to track the car. I need a helmet.

 

What model gave you the anxiety attack and which do you have now?

 

This ^^^, every word of it.

But lately, I'm beginning to enjoy working on my cars more than driving them.

 

Talk about a way to drive membership

 

Dave, the best part is that one of those is on the board and organizes on a bunch of events. The rest of the board is passing a bylaw mandating that she bring at least one single car loving friend of the female persuasion to each event. It's part of our New Member Social initiative to encourage new members!

 

Love your words, especially the 'It will haunt you...'

Thank you

I sort of live in a town also that nicer cars are rare. Although my father drives a $100k + Merc, I'm lucky to see a Ferrari once every few months!

Melbourne always puts a smile on my face


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I like this thread a lot, it is really interesting to read about how many of us acchieve our goal.
My first new car was a Fiat 128 in 1973 (could not afford an Alfa Romeo GTV 2000)
My second car was a Fiat 131 Mirafiori 1975 (could not afford an Alfa Romeo GTV again)
then many British sport cars and a few BMWs but also as a second used car an Alfa Berlina 1974 2000 and at last a few Alfas GTV.
My Friend Sylvestre was doing pdi on all Lamborghini in Canada (about from 1970-1980) for the importer Eugene Carrier who was his father in law. He was also maintaning my Alfas and I had opportunity to try many Lambos,did'nt like the Countach=the driving position was horrible but love the style, the one I like the most=the Jarama.
I sat in a few Ferraris but never had the opportunity to drive one until I drove my own 456 1994 rosso corsa two years ago.