This chart doesn't seem to reflect the price surge that every older model saw during the pandemic. Look at 458 auction results in 2019 vs 2021 for example. The depreciation curve was pretty steep until 2020, and then values have since obviously gone up quite a bit. The original MSRP and today's value seem reasonably accurate but the interpolation in between seems to diverge from observed sales data.
I mean losing money isn’t an issue I’m an expert at that but at the same time half of the enjoyment also comes from getting a good deal I won’t feel bad about when it comes to the next upgrade. I tell every dealer I’m a value shopper
Beauty- can’t wait to see this color in person! I’m always a fan of rarer colors! Even though I did the typical rosso corsa on mine
People keep talking like Ferraris have always held value, but if you actually look at pre-COVID market data, it tells a totally different story. Go back and look at DuPont Registry listings from 2018–2019 or even old Bring a Trailer comps before the supply shock — 488 GTB/Spiders were taking heavy early depreciation, and nobody thought twice about it. That was just normal Ferrari lifecycle behavior. Outside of limited specials, Ferrari values always softened pretty quickly in the first few years from what I’ve seen. The shift only happened during COVID when supply got choked and dealers suddenly realized they could just sit on cars instead of discounting. Prices stopped following the normal curve because scarcity was doing the work for them. And a lot of dealers are still pricing like it’s 2021 because they got used to that environment. The 296 is honestly the first modern Ferrari that’s behaving like a true pre-COVID Ferrari again — MSRP to wholesale drop in the first 18–24 months, exactly like 458s and 488s did in their early years. The rest of the models just haven’t fully corrected yet because dealers are slow-walking prices down. If anyone doubts it, the proof is literally sitting in old DuPont archives and BaT’s pre-2020 sales history. Before COVID, depreciation was standard — not this sticky “hold forever” pricing we’ve had the last few years. these are some images I’ve pulled from a 2019 DuPont registry… I’m sure not one of us would hesitate to jump on these cars today at these prices. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I don’t think it’s bad to be an educated buyer, and most of us who either have or can afford these cars got there by being smart. I certainly understand the passion here for the 296; however, many of us have at least one or more great cars in the stable already. In my case, it’s just a sickness of constantly chasing the next car, but I’m not foregoing pleasure for the sake of saving another few dollars. I believe the current price point on the 296 is great (but i want a certain spec), and the price of the GTS is probably trailing the GTB by nine months to a year on a percentage depreciation basis.
And another controversial comment would be that I don’t think Ferrari does themself any great favor by forcing customers to buy used from them in order to maybe one day get an allocation of a regular-model new car. This really turns off customers (speaking from experience), and the idea that if you buy a couple new cars you might get a Speciale and bingo, you have made money, I think is a bit deceiving. Like mentioned above; put the money you spend on the cars you have to buy (and then not drive) in an S&P index fund (or with a money manager), and you’ll be far better off 90% of the time, or so it seems. I don’t play in the billionaire playground where I’m getting these allocations, so maybe someone is making hundreds of thousands on a Speciale, but I do understand finance extremely well. Buy what you love (like many here) and Drive what you buy (sadly a lot of people don’t). With that in mind, I know that psychologically I’ll think a lot less about depreciation per mile if I pay $300 for a GTB vs $400 for it—it’s a math thing!
I don't understand the "depreciation doesn't matter" posts. Of course it matters. The cost of owning a car isn't the sticker price, it's depreciation plus taxes, insurance, maintenance, consumables and interest/opportunity cost. We, as buyers, have to decide if the enjoyment we get from our cars is sufficient to justify the sum of those expenses. Including depreciation. If depreciation costs rise for initial owners, Ferrari should expect it to stifle demand, all else equal. I'm sure they are doing their best to manage this wisely. I don't understand how a person could be indifferent between, say, $50k in depreciation versus $150k, unless (a) they plan to keep the car forever or (b) that $100k is irrelevant to them (which is not the case for most of us, even among Ferrari buyers). That said, it's probably wise to expect the worst when you buy a car. And I think it is a bit silly to buy a car if you won't use it for fear of depreciation.
100% to all of that. I can't fathom buying a new Ferrari because of the massive depreciation hit. To me these cars are about the joy that they bring to me and my family's lives. My 25 y.o. Ferrari brings so much joy, and I doubt that a newer Ferrari is going to bring much more joy. Knowing that my depreciation hit / cost of ownership is minimal, the dollar per joy ratio is even more fantastic!
Not at all. Read the message I replied to and if my comment still does not make sense , show it to anyone with critical reasoning, please.
It could be noted that the "new" 296 is now available as a used car - and the current depreciation begins to make it a bargain for used car buyers, which is also worth considering.
