Coming out of the closet

great thread idea. i was going to hide it from neighbors/family by storing it downtown. that lasted one day. then i told everybody i just bought it to sell it. that lasted another day. now i just drive it around and store it at home. people are used to it and frankly don't give a crap. i haven't told people at work because they probably wouldn't take it well and clients probably wouldn't either.

the main thing i have learned - most people car much less about your car than you do. most people just don't care. many people think that you were frivolous with your money or spent more than you have. let's face it, most people could finance a $100k car if they wanted to. its not like these are new ferraris.

 

Good point! What annoys me are the folks who buy and finance these cars then posting on youtube, instagram, facebook giving investment advice and telling everyone how successful they are to get views and clicks.

 

^no kidding. the guy who blew it all on a ferrari did not invest wisely.

also, let's get over the myth that we all worked hard for a ferrari. some of us did, some of us didn't. some of us got lucky. a guy pouring asphalt works hard and he doesn't have a ferrari.

 

I own a small company dealing with the Power Industry. We predominantly employee highly specialized Union labor. Since they are union employees, I really don't care what they think as they are being highly compensated for their skill set. On the other hand, I dare not even mention I have a Ferrari to any of my Clients. They know I have a nice collection of cars, some of which are worth at least 100% more than my F430. But the mention of the word Ferrari to them would be suicide.

 

This is an interesting but true real life topic. I can often see both sides of the point of views. I don't have a problem owning Porsche but still feels a little weird owning Ferrari. Oh well, I'm happier to be a Ferrari owner than not!

 

I grew up in my business that I now own. I drove trucks (large pickup trucks) for 25 years as I was always hauling. When I combined my business under one roof and no longer needed to drive a truck daily, I now drive my 360.
My 7 employees and most of my customers know me, it's just a car. Most of the cars around on the road are more expensive than my 360.
I'm usually the first to work and the last to leave, worrying about making they're payroll, kissing butt day in and day out for their mistakes.
It puts a smile on my face for 40 minutes of the day.
For the most part I've never had any negative comments from customers or employees.

 

I own my company and drive my 04 honda element to the office ... the F-car has never been there during working hours. On the nicest of days I will drive my corvette... but its a C5 and nothing to go nuts about.

Many of my neighbors have play cars... I think me buying a F430 peer pressured my neighbor to go get a new 911... He was downsizing till we moved in...LOL

 

There's an old saying that goes: "Everyone wants to see his friends get ahead...just not too far ahead!" It's tongue-in-cheek, but probably true a good deal of the time. Many people, seeing that someone of a similar economic status has something that they don't, either assume that that person has everything that they have, as well, or that ill-gotten gains may be involved. That is unfortunate, and says something sad about the envious person, not the person who has been successful, but who doesn't rub others' noses in his success. I own three Ferraris, plus other sports cars, and bought my first Ferrari at age 28 (I still own it, 41 years later!). I never bring up my cars, but other people who either know my car lust or have seen my cars, often bring up the subject. I'm not bashful about discussing them, but see no need to announce to the world that I own them. You should enjoy your cars, Ferrari or whatever, and always be humble about the fact that you are fortunate enough to own them. One of your greatest satisfactions of ownership will be explaining their features to an interested person, or letting a child sit behind the wheel. Although we may not think twice about seeing a Ferrari or other exotic, many people may never have seen one close up before, and you will be in a position to provide them with a very memorable experience. Enjoy all of it. Fred

 

Every set of reasons for deciding to become an owner is individual and I don't think any given set is "better" or more justified than another. People do pass judgement about most everything and I look at it in this case that it says more about them than me. It's a big deal to me but I don't make a big about it: I have found many more folks who are enthusiastic than critical and I enjoy the enthusiasm because that's why I got involved in ownership in the first place.


For the less positive, as long they remember to respect someone else's property, I guess that comes with the territory some of the time.

 

You can hide the ferrari in a garage but the truth eventually comes out. I noticed when I got mine the neighbors slowly began to upgrade their cars haha. I try not to pay attention to others but I found it hilarious

 

I never drive it to work (hospital) on a week day but will on a rare weekend when I think few if any will see me get in or out. So far the few that have seen me don't seem to mind or at least haven't said anything negative.

Recently someone has started driving their MC 12 regularly to work, a DD. At first there was a buzz about it. A few months later and no one seems to notice.

Besides not driving to work, I drive it as much as I can and do not care who sees me. It is surprising however, how fast word spreads when people do find out.

 

That is pretty funny. I guess that also leads to an increase in home values lol.

As in Maserati MC12 or you mean McLaren MP12-4C? If a Maserati MC12 isn't causing much buzz then I don't know what to say...

 

Everyone at work knows. I take people on rides sometimes and every once in a while let some people drive it. No issues.

 

I fell in love with the idea of Ferrari after reading an article (I think in Road&Track) about driving a Ferrari from Maranello into Switzerland. When the writer crossed the border between the two countries, a border guard exclaimed,"Che bella macchina!" at the sight of the Ferrari. There were also pictures of a 330GTS and it was RED! Perfect! I knew then I had to have a Ferrari, a RED one.

Well, life went on, I got of high school, joined the Marine Corps, spent four years turning wrenches on helicopters and then nearly forty years maintaining F-111, F-16 and F-35 jets for a defense contractor. I did pretty well, but I never did become wealthy enough to walk into a dealership like a pezzonovante and order a new Ferrari. Never bothered me, just the way things worked out.

So, now I'm in my sixties, retired, single and living in the boonies (dolce far niente). As a retirement gift to myself I found a beautiful 2006 F430F1, Rosso Scuderia, Nero interior with really nice rosso stitching, Scuderia shields, Giallo tach; just like hundreds of other F430's. But this one is MINE! By God, it's magnificent!

The nearest town, population 2,200, is several miles away, so nobody ever really sees the Ferrari except when I stop at the Shell station in town to fill the tanks. No matter. I have hundreds of miles of fine Texas Farm-to-Market Roads that are an absolute joy to explore with my little red car and the Circuit of the Americas is only 150 miles away. I don't have coworkers or neighbors so no one is around to be envious. I wouldn't care if there were. This car is MY dream and I'm living it. I also enjoy doing the maintenance (Well, as much as I can without an SD3. Damn!).

I guess my point is this: Own whatever you want, do whatever you want and don't concern yourself with what others think. They are free to pursue their own dreams.

 

Love stories like this. Congrats on achieving your dream!

 

I look at it like this. If I don't drive it around the little kids will never see one to dream about and believe it's achievable!

 

Let me echo this from a bigger sample size....

We have refinished the parts for hundreds of owners and NOT ONE SINGLE OWNER has been less than a total gentleman! All fantastic people and truly, that makes serving them a real pleasure

 

Been married too many years for the genitalia to matter.

The V8 'genitalia extension' sees more action, gets more use and is regularly pampered.

 

+1. Want to extend the genitalia and actually get some use from the extension? Get a boat.


I was actually happy that I've had my car 7 years and on Monday I confided in a person at work that I had my red Bella (we were talking 911 which he wants). He didn't know! My little secret is safe.. for now.. You can be successful and have a 911, a Merc, or any BMW... just don't drive a Ferrari/Lambo in front of clients.

 

That works? haha

 

Man, this is a tough one. I certainly haven't advertised it here at work but being a small company of 50 people, the word gets out. I am friends with some of them on FB and IG, so it was only a matter of time, and by a matter of time, I mean hours, until some of them knew. Due to how into cars I am, some of them were actually surprised it didn't happen before.

I have a daily driver, which is a Nissan Xterra - it doesn't attract any attention and it is a great SUV that does everything well, including blending in. People know that I have owned tons of sports cars before and they very seldom can't keep track of what I currently owned. That being said, in the 12 years I have been, here, I may have driven my EVT Porsche to work 6 times...and I have had that car for 7 years now. My GT-R I have brought probably 3 times and I have had that car for 3 years. And it was probably because I had to go to some car event after the office. My F430, I have yet to bring it to work and probably won't.

I think it is perception and it simply gives people something to talk about - I would rather they focus on work and our accomplishments. I think the majority of them understand I have no responsibilities and work my ass off. I have been blessed in so many ways and I am by no means arrogant or take things for granted, so people see that. It doesn't bother me if they know I have it because we live in a small city and due to how much car stuff I do, I have ran into several of them at different events, movies, restaurants, etc. or just driving the car. But, I don't get as much enjoyment just bringing it to work - I get more enjoyment just driving it as it is meant to be driven or with a group of cars to a restaurant or something like that.

Coming out of the closet is hilarious...lol!

 

My wife still won't acknowledge the car, even though she has to step by it everyday to get to her car in the garage. After she acknowledges the car, I will come out of the closet.