the ‘Tifosi’ thread - when did you enter amore with the scuderia?

Aged 10, I was interviewed on Nationwide by Angela Ripon (people of a certain age in the UK will remember) at the London Motorshow and she asked what car I thought was the best. Ferrari was my immediate answer. That was 30-cough years ago and my obsession with both F1 and the roads cars has been invariant since them.

Today, I’m wearing a Scuderia shirt in celebration of this morning’s victory and there is a Scuderia flag flying outside my house.

Guess that make me a tifoso


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1966 going to the movies with my folks and watching the movie Grand Prix in Phoenix.

Maybe the first time I ever heard of "Ferrari". I never even saw a Ferrari until maybe the mid 70's. My first love was Jaguar and the E type which was much more common.

Enzo was right about this movie. He knew it would expand F1 and his team's fan base. Others stayed away but Enzo was all in for the production.

 

Nothing as amazing as your story but the bits above I've highlighted do hold/have a resonance with me...

How I got into Ferrari was mostly because when I was 10/11 circa 1980, my mom's friend's husband was an ex F1 driver Michael Keens, and tried to explain that Ferrari had a racing heritage which Lambo did not - followed them ever since.

The 575 has been my only Ferrari - but it must have been around 1988 when I sat in my first "Ferrari"; a 246 gts which I immediately fell in love with and vowed to buy one day (massive fail) but at the time it was 30k compared to the my VW GTI I had bought for 11.5 kK.

Dad bought me a 456 wallet and perfume before succombing to a brain tumour, and about 6 years ago I finally had the money to buy the 456 but spent a bit more and got the 575.

Schuey was also a big game changer - my favourite driver ever - and when he left/was ousted - I supported him when he returned, and I guess my Ferrari allegiance was over; but it was a liberating experience being a team neutral and just supporting a driver.

Once Michael left, back to supporting a team rather than a driver, so back to Ferrari.

Best,

Sammy

 

I try to get to Maranello every year or two. Last year had a wonderful trip with factory tour and visit to the gestione sportiva. I guess I have a disease.




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With me it started in the late 1950s, but mostly due to my obsession with the Scuderia's beautiful sports racers, more than F1. I really started paying attention to Ferrari in F1 when Phil Hill, the only hero I ever had besides my beloved father, won the 1960 Italian GP.


Then, 1963....The 12 Hours of Sebring won by Surtees and Scarfiotti. It was the first world-class race I ever attended. Nearly 50 years later I had the privilege of speaking with Surtees about that race in the Goodwood Revival paddock. And Phil was at Sebring that year but competing in a Cobra, his first race since leaving Ferrari. And he led the first lap. Even though he wasn't in a Ferrari, it was good enough.

 

Since I was very young the only toys I wanted where Ferrari's. First car toy I remember playing with was a small F40, which later grew into a bigger F40 (1/18 scale). I was around 5 years old playing in the living room with my toy cars, presumably pretending to drive the Ferrari when I heard the most fantastic noise coming from the tv. I went over to investigate, ordered my parents to change the channel back and that's the first memory of F1. A red Ferrari, driven by either Alesi and Berger with that fantastic V12 noise. I was hooked. I watched as many races as I could from then onwards.

My uncle (technically not really my uncle, but he was dating my aunt for a long time so that's all we knew) often took me to car shows and the race track (zandvoort). Age 5 I moved to Zandvoort, we bought Jan Lammers' house and I met him a few times. Invited me to watch him test Le Mans cars many times after, he gave loads of memorabilia (he didn't have the space in his new house), thoroughly nice guy. At school I made friends with a guy who is still my best friend, we both liked cars and lived opposite each other, so we where at each others house every day, playing with cars. His dad raced cars, had a 993 Turbo at the time and took us with him whenever he went racing or watching the races...In 1997 he bought a brand new 550 Maranello and that's when I had my first ride in a Ferrari. I've always loved the 550, no doubt inspired by that first ride and that amazing noise when he started it up early morning to go to work. The garage was right next to my friends room so could hear the cold start, it had the sports exhaust, with that deep bassy tone, vibrating the windows. I still get chills down my spine thinking of that!

A 550 will still be my first, I just missed the boat on the cheap ones a few years ago by a matter of months for the cheap ones to disappear. So I kept working, a new business which ate money has put the purchase off again. I've now changed direction again, finding I'm ok as a day trader. If only I had known this sooner I'd now have it sitting in my garage!

I never stopped watching F1, and as I grew up it was Schumacher in the Ferrari's obviously. I love racing, Ferrari is ''my team'', but I've also supported several drivers, some for being an underdog, some because I liked how they drove, or their antics in/out the car, or simply their personality.

 

Some wonderful stories here


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Madrid Spain 1974 - I was 8 yrs old visiting my moms parents. Saw a wedge shaped car with wire wheels and a sharp nose....convertable with 2 doors..at a local eatery...I was hooked and never saw anything like it. Since then, I crave for one this day but I don't have a couple of million to buy one. Miami Vice resurrected it (even though it was a kit car on a corvette chassis). I have always believed it's not a true Ferrari unless it has a V-12....that's just me.

Started watching Ferrari F1 in the 70's into the 80's and 90's then went off to college where F1 and I took a hiatus and had a family and kid plus working 16hr days. Got back into F1 in 2001 when Ferrari was dominating and have been following the Scuderia since.

I collect pit crew shirts and hats from the Scuderia....all official. My pride and joy is a 2010 (Alonso & Massa era) barcode mechanics shirt. I also have polo's and mechanic shirts including 1 half zip sweater...all from 2012 on up to 2017....One 2017 Polo with the 70 logo. 1 hat with Vettels and Kimi's signature on the bill. I have a pit crew umbrella from 2016 with a wierd looking handle. I hardly wear any of these and they look like new....some still in their plastic casing.

Went to COTA in 2012 in Ferrari gear and saw Michael....his last year he would race; then with Mercedes.

 

Is was around the mid 60's for me also... I saw Grand Prix in 1966 when I was 9 years old with my Dad in NYC and that started my passion for following F1. But at the same time, my favorite past time was playing with my Matchbox and Corgi cars and building HO and slot car layouts in our basement. These were some of my favorites...

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..And I guess I haven't grown up much.

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While I had a Cox 1/24 slot racer of the 1964 Ferrari 158 (which was later reissued as a static model kit), it really began when I saw the movie "Grand Prix". It was obvious that there was a sense of passione about the team and its drivers lacking in all the others. Even though the movie was fiction, it correctly explained why Ferrari lost more drivers than the other teams: they were trying too hard to satisfy the Old Man and keep their place in the team. Shortly after seeing the movie, I saw this happen precisely to Lorenzo Bandini at Monaco: he was trying too hard, and he paid the ultimate price. This same sense of passione led me to buy a Ferrari 328 in 2004, and when I drive it I feel a sense of connection with all those brave drivers, living and dead.

 

Ghent, Belgium 1980! Obsessed with sportscars from my childhood, the Ferrari disease started with the first glimpse, in real, of a Rosso Corsa 308 GTS, which was just parked in a normal street, not so far from where my parents lived. That glimpse turned into a serious look, became an afternoon of adoration for this devine creature, and finally I stayed there, staring at that phenomenal beauty untill 11PM, just being so happy with finding that new love in my life: Ferrari!
I was 15 then, and my parents were worried and wondered where I was.... My dad went looking for me and found me in that street, he told me I had a strange look in my eyes. I said: "Dad, that car, did you see that car??? It's a Ferrari!!!" I was in heaven!"
From that day on, my Ferrari intrest grew exponentially, also for other Italian exotics, such as Maserati, Lamborghini. I remember being half an hour late in my music lesson, because there was a rare, black De Tomaso Pantera parked along the street!

My first car, however, was not a Ferrari... it was a Jaguar XJS V12, gorgeous car, cheap in second hand, I thought a Ferrari was definitely out of reach, so I told myself to be reasonable and bought a second XJS 4liter 6 cylinder. And I loved that car, it was not a Ferrari.... far from that!
So, I kept dreaming, until that beautiful day in September 2002, one of Belgium's Official Dealers was selling a 328 GTS... Of course, you know what happened, I had to have that car, so I did buy it. Doing well in my job meanwhile, permitted me to have this Ferrari adventure, without too much impact on my Family budget. Btw my wife and kids liked the car! And of course a personalised license plate was a must: 328-GTS

In 2010 my taste altered a little, in the sense that I would go for something more recent: a stunning Rosso Scuderia Challenge Stradale from 2004. Found that one at an official Dealer in Germany. Full Approved Warranty program, it was as new. Also this beauty received a personalised registration...
Everyday since, I am totally in love with that beast.
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I was bitted by the "horse bug" pretty young. My older brother liked Ferraris, and i remenber watching f.1 races since i have a memory. i remenber watching Niki at Monaco...it was 1977 and i was 3 years old. i also remenber the death of Peterson next year, i was four...also the victory at Monza with both Ferraris in 79...i was 5. All of this i remenber watching in my black and white Tv! since it was black and white, i was to young to know wich cars were the Ferraris, so my brother kept telling me, and when they broke down or had an accident i would run to the kitchen crying! I never stoped folowing f.1..at the time i didn't pay much atention to the street cars, i used to build an f.1 with real tyres, wood and ciment blocks, than i would step in and pretend i was driving in a race..i did it in the afternoon after the races! As i got older i satrted to learn about street cars, and about 9 i started to buy my first BBurago 1/18...it was a testarossa! have been buying models ever since! The death of Gilles was a big blow, he was my favourite driver ever, still is, after him there was only one who could really get me excited, Jean Alesi! when i found out Ferrarichar it was a revelation! I learnt so much, especially about older street models and sport cars. The latest became my new passion and i started to collect them.
some years ago i never missed a g.p, but now i'm a bit bored with it, the last championship i was fully commited was 2008, i hope the spark will come again. There were some drivers i disliked that drove for Ferrari, some i ended up suporting, other no. First it was Prost, i viewd him as the enmy, so it took my a while to like him, but in the end i was suporting him, second was Shummy, another "enemy", but i also ended up by admirer and suport him. I disliked Barichelo and as you all know, my all time favourite Alonso!
I would love to own a Ferrari, but i realise it will probably never happen, unless my life makes a huge turn, i don't feel frustrated for not having the money to have it, not at all, but it would be cool, a nice dream, if i could i would go for a manual 550, a great compromise between classic and modern, and so, so beautifull!
These are hanging on my office, more will come!
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To me Ferrari is all about racing, i see it as a racing team, only then comes the street cars (perhaps if i could afforf one i would change my mind!)..besides the 550 tehre are some other i like, like the Dino and the daytona, i wont go back becaus eobviously a 275/gtb4 would be over the top! As per modern Ferraris i loved the f12, as oposed to the 812 wich i think it's a complete disaster in terms of design. I also liked the 458, and the laFerrari, let's see the future, although with uncle sweater at the helm, i fear for it!

 

I must add though that my Ferrari F1 intrests woke up at a very early stage. Watching the Austrian GP back in 1970 or so, I was about 5 years old. I got thrilled by the red beauties and their incredible 12 cylinder thunder! The great Belgian Jacky Ickx , who drove for Ferrari, won the race! I also remember being broken by the horrible accident of Gilles Villeneuve in Zolder.
And as for many, my absolute hero is Schumacher, those were the days! Miss him!

With Ickx at Spa Francorhamps in 2015:

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I was 12 when Lauda's crash and stunning bravery in 1976 put me on Ferrari's side, though that was still about the driver more than the team, same with Gilles.
It really became strong when Michael and Ross brought the team back from the wilderness. The fights against Mika and Jaques were high points, real rivalry and super fast cars. In the end though the dominance and things like the position swap at Indy meant the passion faded a bit. Buying my first Ferrari in 2103 was important as well, with it being a 1961 car, I really got into the team's pre Lauda era history for the first time. Other road cars have followed , a Lusso T is on order introducing me to the Italain concept of "obligatory options. WTF. I spend too much time on here. I have "enjoyed" our scraps with Mercedes( the highs, the lows, the more lows) , I am considering paying stupid money for Paddock club at Monza (which we may well lose in a humiliating way like last year). ...I am, in short, addicted and need help.

Anybody know of any support groups ?

 

Excellent, and love the collection!

 

My story was similar in that regard. I subscribed to "Road & Track" magazine starting in 1968 to get Grand Prix race reports, since the races were not shown on television back then, and finding any information on F1 races in American newspapers was pretty much a lost cause. Naturally I also read about Ferrari road cars, but none of them made me want to own one until 1975, when the first article about the 308 GTB appeared, driven in Europe by Phil Hill. Right then and there, I wanted to own one someday, but I was only 22 and right out of college, so I knew I'd have to wait. The original price of a 308 in the U.S. was about $20,000, but that was a lot of money in those days, nearly twice my starting salary as an aerospace engineer!

I might have gotten my dream car in 1987 if I had been very lucky. In that summer, while temporarily working in southern California, I visited Las Vegas and chose the Circus Circus hotel to do my gambling at (mainly because they sponsored an unlimited hydroplane, from another "speed sport" that I like). I found a bank of progressive slot machines where the jackpot prize was not a sum of money, but a brand new Ferrari 328 that was parked right behind the machines! I only had about $100 to play with, and I made it last a long time, but never won the jackpot, so my dream had to wait a while longer.

In early 2004, a young engineer that had joined the company right out of college sold his old minivan and bought a brand new BMW Z3 right off the showroom floor. When I asked him what he had paid (and most of it was financed, of course), I realized that for about the same price, I might be able to afford a used Ferrari, so I began looking online. I eventually found the right car, on eBay of all places, and eventually flew out to Sacramento and bought the car, and it's been decorating my garage ever since. Even driving mostly around greater Atlanta, I've put over 50,000 miles on it in 14 years, and unlike you, I have no intention of selling it, even though my first preference back in 2004 would have been an F355 GTS if I could have afforded one then. (But that was before I found out how ridiculously expensive 355s are to service. Your Challenge Stradale is even more reasonable than that, but I never cared for the styling of the 360 series.)

And the best thing about owning a Ferrari? Everywhere I take it, people smile!
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Started mid-1975, loved the look and sound of the cars back then and their variations. Now they’re ugly and all look the same. Sad.