If making money on an under $100K Ferrari is the object, go buy a porsche. 355/360/430 might hold steady in price, might even wiggle up a little over the next few years, but not enough to offset your ownership costs. So buy the best one you can afford to own (purchase+maintenance) and enjoy it. If you get lucky, and they gain a little value during your ownership, well done, if not, well done, as you'll be driving one hell of a car. D
I won't speak for the 355, but you can be sure both the 360 and F430 will continue to depreciate for quite some time. The exception being the 360 CS, F430 Scuderia, and any MT F430s. They made so many of those cars, and now the awesome 458 will be competing with them as it has been supplanting by the new 488. The 360 is an awesome deal for a reliable sports car and there is virtually no premium on MTs (yet). The F430 has much better performance, and the 458 is considered by many to be one of the greatest all-around sports cars ever. Thankfully, all of these cars were produced in high volumes, which should keep prices down and enjoyment up.
If you have no preference of one particular model over another, you must go with the 360 gated shifter. Pretty much a no brainer.
I think the ship already has sailed on good 550's for $100k or less. Maybe a chance for a high mileage car.
What did you think of Doug's articles on the one year of 360 ownership over at Jalopnik? (I'm going to assume a lot of people here read them based on him constantly referencing the forum) Seems like it was relatively trouble free (maintenance wise)
What about Gullwing's 550? I haven't seen the mileage listed, but it's $67,500 if I remember correctly. Looks like a nice car, if I was stateside I'd be tempted right now.
This car really is worth a look if a 360 gets you going. You could drive it a LOT and still sell as a low miles example down the road! The trouble is that by then you will be in love with it!
Sold. Personally I don't like the front end heaviness of a 550 but if one doesn't mind it then it has the best value and appreciation of 100K ish Ferraris IMO. MT only. Like most of the rest a MT 360 fits the bill in Ferraris for me. I took a bit less $ and bought a 996GT2 just a few months ago. Probably gained 20 to 40% since then.
I would find a 430 as used 458's will drive the price down. Many moons ago, back when I sold my 355, I spent 1½ month driving a 360. I didn't care much for it. Sure it was a little faster than the 355, but not massively so. The to me, rather dull 360 look over the 355 combined with a less visceral experience just turned me off the 360. The 355 needs the engine out service etc. so it's rather expensive in terms of maintenance + in terms of reliability, it can be a bit moody. To me, the looks of the 430 is a bit of a mess and the 32 valve engine does not sound as good as the 40 valve engines of the 355 and 360, but as far as driving experience go, and according to some reliability wise, it's on a different level than the 360. Oh, and don't forget Ferraris come in many other beautiful colours than red. For your first car, get a good one that runs well with everything sorted. Nothing destroys your first Fcar ownership experience like a bad Fcar.
If your budget is $100K you are on a budget so service after your purchase matters. A 430 is what you need. They are way faster than a 355 or a 360 and probably the least expensive Ferrari to service. Less than both its predecessor and its replacement (458). I owned a 355 for over ten years and loved it but they can quickly become a major headache. 360's never did anything for me ever. A 430 is a major improvement over a 360 in the looks department.
Of all the selections mentioned ,I would buy the best gt/4 I could find at close to 100k An Enzo car, carb, easy maintence, hammer all the gears to red line and almost never get in any real trouble with the law. With the 2,700 plus that were built, no way there are still 2,000 cars around, making them rare compared to other models. Lots of upside on a sweet gt/4 if you can find a GOOD one. I always liked the gt/4
Gullwing's 550 is a high mileage car, if I remember correctly it is in the 86K mile range. I believe CarFax shows it also has damage history.