Can I sit in your car?

Good for you! Hopefully he takes it as motivation and proves his Dad wrong.

My best experience was when I was leaving lunch and noticed a young girl around 10-11 taking cell phone pics of the car from across the lot. I drove over to her, got out and said "why take a pic of the outside when you can have one behind the wheel?". I then took some pics of her in the car and a video of her starting the engine. I've never seen a kid so happy. Her father got all teary eyed and thanked me profusely. THAT is what it's all about for me.

 

I am of a mind to agree with the posters that are generous with allowing random people to sit in their car, especially if they are less than 12 years old. My opinion is that it's a car that can be fixed if something were to happen, and that as an owner of a high-end vehicle that we are the stewards for the next generation of gearheads.

I had a positive and negative experience at Charlotte Cars & Coffee back in March of 2015 with my father-in-law and my then-5-years-old son:
Positive - a gentleman there with an early black Lamborghini Diablo let my son in the car so he could 'see how high the speedometer went', and was unconcerned with my son all over the inside of his car. I have a half dozen pics of that little boy in and around the Diablo.
Negative - Another guy in the far end of the lot had parked his low-mile late 90s Camaro SS near a bunch of the new-at-the-time Corvette C7s and Z06s. My son touched his car (again, trying to look at the speedometer) and I was chewed out up and down for allowing my kid to touch his precious. A small set of handprints was left on his window glass. His reaction was completely unwarranted, considering that he was the one who brought the car to a free and public show - if he was unwilling for anyone to touch it, keep it (and yourself) at home.

Which one of these folks did more to foster car mania in my son?

 

I can understand the argument if the title was "Can I drive your car" - but sitting in it? Really? You guys take your cars - and yourselves- way too seriously. Good to know (not really) the elitist, snobby, pretentious Ferrari owners are still out there -alive and well.

If anyone wants to sit in any of my Ferrari's, you're more than welcome. Just don't fart in it.

 

One other thing that puzzles me is some people say that they've had their car damaged. With all the kids I've had in my car they've never left a mark.

I mentioned earlier that I checked their butts, but I also ask if their hands are clean.

There were several key reasons I wanted the 612, the V12 engine, the styling, the space, but particularly the 2+2 configuration. We love taking friends for rides or going for lunch or dinner. With all those people piling in and out of the back seats, never a mark to be seen!

 

When I had the 456M I was the most popular driver at the Ferrari Kid events - we take kids with cancer for rides - because I could take three, instead of only one.

I'm dying to get a 2+2 again.

 

He did what he was capable of doing.
Your aspirations weren't so low.

 

I had a few feelings here. Some cars are just so expensive that having a long line of folks sit in it could potentially mean considerable $$ if damages occurred. Then I asked myself, what's expensive? It's very relative. I think in the end its context.

If you're going to present at a high-end Concours, those cars are closed off anyway, so the question wouldn't even come up. At other car shows it's all over the map. I would say if one is really concerned, you could be a rope around the car that says don't touch.

It should be very clear then, you get to participate in the show, and people get the message. But then you become *that* guy, especially if you're the only one doing that, and it's that significant of a car

If they still ask, I liked the response another member suggested: "Sorry, but I just got everything detailed for an upcoming competition..." But people can read between the lines, at least I know what I would think if I got that response.

Personally, if I was that concerned about a car, I wouldn't participate with it in a public show. That's just me.

 

Exactly. You can't disappoint people or come across as ****** if you show up in a Cruze.

 

Check out about the 6 minute point as an example.


Best regards,

Robert

 

Well done, Admiral. I'm sure the young man will remember touching that steering wheel.

Your little blue car remains my all time favorite Ferrari.

.

 

Hey....ever tried to get glitter out of white leather in a Lamborghini ?

....not easy, I tell ya .

Shamile

Freeze...Miami Vice!

 

Hi Robert,
I just saw the post that you're selling the Mondial. Sorry to hear that.
This is Jim, Debbie and I visited you last year.

 

Dear Jim,

I remember, trust you and Debbie are well.

Best regards,

Robert

 

Yep X 365 & 308!

 

.....and yep again x 365 & 308!!

 

I always try to stay calm in challenging situations like that.
Guy was maybe 5'6" and probably less then 140lbs, I am 6'4" at 230lbs still in shape (old military habit of doing calisthenics, push ups, pull ups squats etc daily).
If I simply reacted (as I really wanted), I would be the one who was at fault, an aggressor beating on a poor little guy.
He sensed it and took full advantage of it....

 

A few years ago at an Alfa Romeo get together I took my F355. One of the guys I know was dying to drive one. You should have seen his face when I threw him the keys.... here it is.


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It's a car and you have to have some knowledge of who you let in it but I consider myself very, very fortunate to own such cars. If I can share just a bit of that with others then I get such a kick from that.

 

Amelia Island Concour 2015, my daughter and I were admiring the Ferrari's on the show field when one very nice owner offered my daughter a seat in his car, we didn't ask. I later learned the car was owned by (the late) Randy Cook. My daughter was thrilled to have the opportunity!


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One time I was out to dinner with my wife and a father/son was admiring the car. We were seated outside on a sidewalk terrace and I could tell they were both really interested. The dad looked up and we made eye contact. I pulled out the fob and unlocked it and motioned for him to open it up and enjoy it. They were both thrilled and it was a great memory of owning my car. I would have killed for someone to do that for me when I was young. Even being close to a Ferrari was exciting for me.

I always let people sit in my car and check it out. Everyone has always been respectful and super appreciative. Its one of the best parts of ownership.

 

I’ve let lots of women try to get in and out of my Lotuses for my own amusement.

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I also let a kid put a Chihuahua in the front seat of my Rolls to take a picture. Dog was more well behaved than most people.

 

Flash, you beat me to it. I had to have the Lotus salesperson demonstrate how to get in to an Elise.

Looking forward to that models return to the US. (hopefully)

Joe

 

See how a hot girl changes the narrative?

 

In a mini skirt nonetheless...

 

Very well controlled you are.. I probably would have said some not so flattering things at least. Though I've seen enough Karma to know it's only a matter of time...

 

I found a couple of pics from my story in post #77. It's not a hot set of legs like above, but demonstrates a gracious exotic owner. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

I'm pretty sure that '220' was the biggest speedo number he saw that day.