I want to buy a new Ferrari from a dealer. Secret Handshake?

I have had 8 different Ferraris in the past 10 years. Everyone one of them has been purchased from dealers located at different locations around the country. Not once was I able to purchase a NEW car from a dealer. Every time I want one its been impossible to get an allotment. So I usually end up waiting a year or two and buying a slightly used car. I'm currently in a 15' 458 Spider. Love this car but I would like to be in line for the next cool model. Is there a secret handshake, a particular password or something I'm missing?

On a side note I went to my Porsche dealership in early 2015 when the GT3RS was announced. Put a down pretty good sized deposit ordered the car to my specifications. I got the car for MSRP 8 months later. Very professional no ******** deal. I have purchase 4 new Porsches from this particular dealer now. I sold the GT3RS back to the dealership for close to MSRP after putting 4500 miles on it. Needless to say I'm a customer for life at this dealership. Too bad they don't sell Ferrari.

 

What you seemed to have going for you at the Porsche dealership was loyalty and history with that particular dealership (and I'm guessing there service department). I would imagine your chances aren't quite as bleak as you may initially think if you've been servicing you vehicles at a specific dealership. They seem to like loyalty in 3 departments: 1. Purchases 2. Services and 3. Trade-ins / sales (pretty much the picture you had with Porsche).

My thought process could be flawed, but i know Ferrari dealerships and Ferrari in general tend to like customers that heavily option our their cars. SO, putting your name down for the next cool car and making sure to load it up with options might not necessarily get you ahead of the return customers at that particular dealership, but it'll certainly do you good in terms of cutting down on your wait time.

I hop that helps(?)

 

And that is why, when I’m next in the market for a new exotic, I won’t likely be going to Ferrari.

The Rolex buying experience has been the same as of late as well.

 

Other than the Pista you can probably walk in to a dealer tonight and spec whichever car you want.

 

Yea but I would only be looking to purchase a Pista or a Pista Aperta right now. I just came back from the Mclaren dealer and they have a 600LT on the floor that I can get for msrp as well as the opportunity to spec order the 600LT Spyder again at msrp. The sales crew at the dealership were extremely welcoming and very knowledgable regarding the ordering process. It's a pretty sic ride. I may jump ship shortly....

 

You want the one limited edition car right now. It's no secret (someone posted the dealer meeting powerpoint slides here), they want to sell the Pista to people who buy at least 2 new cars from the dealership. The dealer usually wants that new car back to sell. Some posters lately have said they got allocation after one new car (ie Lusso or Portofino), then a Pista. It sounds like you can do it, if you establish the buyer relationship with a salesman.

600LT looks awesome. I like the idea of a McLaren but I don't want to be 4+ hours away from the dealer.

 

That’s a pretty unrealistic ask. Without a long term relationship you’re not going to get either car in primary market. Your dealer probably has a list of guys who want either car that have spent a million bucks with them over the years.

 

You, and probably a few other people whom the dealer already has a relationship with. Guess who gets the Golden Ticket?

 

It's worth a shot to ask but I wouldn't expect one. You need to build your resume with them to get any high demand model.

That and, Pista/Pista Spiders have already been allocated. That is how it is here in MI and I would imagine the whole production run to be.
Remember that if someone backs out of the allocation the dealer will go ask their next established clients if they'd like to have one.

 

Local dealer here has a list more than double his allocation of Pista’s. So no surprise he is going to give them to his best customers first.

Supply and demand, classic marketing...resale values say it all.

 

I am a new to Ferrari as well. I have never bought a Ferrari. I hope to get an allocation for the 488 Face Lift about to be revealed in March.

 

Where is your location? Your locality is part of the equation. Just ask. No harm asking.

 

I happen to be lucky and live only 10 minutes from Algar Ferrari, and I have know the people (as well those no longer there) for over 20 years. I have also bought and sold somewhere around 20 cars in that time. I have built only 2 of my Ferrari's and my current one has a lot of expensive options (like apple carplay) I would have never put in if I were building it myself, so I see it as I got those things for free. I remember the days of the 360 when my dealer had a list of people who wanted one larger than their entire allocation of cars. They would never be able to fill that list, so if I am not mistaken the well buy a couple of used cars from us and we will see what we can do for you came about. I did end up building my own spider, and it is no owned by a forum member. When I first met the folks at Algar, I drove in with a highly modified 996TT (converted to RWD), and back then (to some it still is) modifying a Ferrari was frowned upon. I'm sure they thought I was crazy, but I drove over there (in different cars most of the time) every Saturday for almost 2 years, and we would talk about cars, the things I had done to the ones I brought over, and we developed a mutual respect that still exists today. I am not saying that you should do things the way I do, but Algar knows I would never buy certain cars from anyone but them. I have noticed this in many things in these days of social media where face to face communication seems to be getting lost. One of those things is the value of relationships, they matter, and I have no doubt that my dealer would do anything possible to secure me a new build if I wanted one. OP, imagine the customer you would be to one dealer if you had bought 8 cars in 10 years, I can assure you, you would have had a build slot for the car you want.

 

god bless you guys buying brand new cars !

 

Why do you say that? Buying new is not a good idea?

 

Of course buying new is a good idea, for numerous reasons. And if the secret handshake includes no depreciation upon trade-in than it's an awesome idea.

 

its neither good or bad.
its just not something that i aim for, but without those who do buy new, no cars would ever get sold !

 

Bottom feeders rule. If you want to be the first person to fart in the driver’s seat, you gotta lift your leg high.


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

I’ve bought a few, and as the first owner, kissed goodbye to a lot of cash in doing so.. the worst was a 612, £220k in 2006 new, sold for £75k in 2010/11 to make way for a 599, and only had 11000 on the clock due to my health. What an expensive 11000 miles!

 

While your price point was considerable higher, I'd say that your $17 per mile was better than my $1000+ per hour for my last boat (boat, not yacht).

 

WOW...... now that’s spending! Jeez, I feel like a miser now!

 

Just gotta run your boat at an average of 59mph and you'll be cheaper!

 

I will say it is an experience to order a new Ferrari....speccing it, the wait, the phone call/ picture the car is arrived, delivery....

 

and i am most grateful to you for doing so !

 

LOL

A slow boat wasn't the problem. Not being able to use it was...

(btw, I included depreciation into my cost-of-use calculation)