Questions

Here is a compilation of production numbers that I have from various sources. Apologies for the poor formatting but I just did a quick copy and paste off of various spreadsheets.
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Bruce, not tired of it at all, just too many cars to do them all justice, not to say garage them close by. This will make me sound like a rich man that I'm not; I'm comfortable, my divorce less costly than might have been, daughter's education finished, granddaughter's provided for, so with what Louis Armstrong used to call a little more 'walking around money' than I'd expected, I've lost my alleged mind and indulged the car craze that everyone on this list shares. I have become the only one-person family with a two-car garage who owns one Maserati (Spider), two Cadillacs (STS-V & CTS, the everyday car) and three Ferraris (412GT, 355 berlinetta & 575M). Enough is too much. It is in truth a wonderful predicament, one that I would never have dreamed having, but gotta sell a car or two.

 

Thanks a group John!!

Understood

 

Seth, you are one lucky, lucky man !!!

 

Seth
you are one 'unlucky' guy! having to put up with the choice of getting rid of one!!! lucky man!!

Ferrari 575 (off the same drawing board as a pugeot 406 slightly more expensive but no more remarkeable nevertheless) character rating 0 out of 10 due to boringness

Caddilacs sorry ime from the uk are these armchairs with electric engines and stuffed pillows instead of suspension? ( love the Eldorado and 60 special though) character rating 5 out of 10 due to cool character but slushy handling

355 difficulty here but will give it a bash, small gocart very fast totally useless for anything because you have to crawl into it height wise so no good for shopping and slow compared to equally accecible F1 car from 2012 but little more practical. charater rating - 3 out of 10 due to nobody like a 355 driver because hes iether a night club owner or a footballer star especially in red!

So which of these unremarkeable cars are you going to get rid of????? to keep the brilliant ok its got its flaws 400? character rating 10 out of 10 because this is 'the' understated hand built classic V12 from ferrari

Ok I might have to admit a bit of jealousy here, whatever goes you will still be a lucky man,
Regards
Alastair

 

Sure, an' ye've got a sharp thistle up under yer sporran, alistair lad! ;-)

alright, I'll take the bait -

1. 575M Maranello, the perfect logical successor to the Daytona and actually outdoes the 365GTB in having, from every perspective, nothing but flawless lines. P.S. to my eye the car is not enhanced in rosso corsa, far too bold a colour.

2. you have written about your grandfather's Cadillac, Alistair; you would cut off your own tongue had you ever driven my STS-V, as I have, on the track at Watkins Glen Int'l.
0-100kmph (62MPH) 4,8 sec, governor-ltd terminal speed 250kmph (155mph) and handling to match. A later, faster production Cadillac CTS-V set the all-time saloon lap record on the Nurburgring Nordschleife.

3. delighted to read that you understand that the 355 is a sports car; so why would you go shopping in a sports car?

4. and whilst you have displayed such an intolerable level of bad taste ;-) at least you ameliorate the horrid fall-out by your faint praise for the poor 412.

So which one will you have?

 

I know, I thought the same thing but also figured there aren't too many of those on his island for him to be familiar with.
Seth, wondering if your calls to Brian Milleman & Chad Ensz have gone unanswered, I'm starting a thread after this reply so that we have an official thread to document all the production info of all variants. You could post the info you get there since this thread is labels 'Questions'.

 

Bruce: cut-and-pasted verbatim email from Brian Milleman, head of Ferrari North America's Aftersales Department, fowarding the response to his inquiry:

Answer #1:

"Brian , they did not give any numbers for manual or auto on the 412. The 400 had a run of approximately 50% manual and 50% automatic ( I see no issue with the same formula being used on the 412). Total cars for each year is as follows:

1985 – 43
1986 – 233
1987 – 170
1988 – 93
1989 – 37"

Answer #2, received fewer than ten minutes later:

"Update

Just received another email stating it was 1/3 production."

What this says to me is that Ferrari themselves have not a clue. First note their guess: "approximately 50% manual and 50% automatic" and their acknowledgement "I see no issue with the same formula being used on the 412". Then, oh excuse me it was 1/3 - maybe, and I suppose the fellow at the factory saw no reason not to apply THAT ratio !

My recollection is that the 400 series did not make the 5-speed manual an "on request" option; rather, that the factory determined production schedules on its assessment of what the market wanted and would buy. Whereas for the 412, the 5-speed manual was very clearly and by the factory's own acknowledgement in the brochure an "on request" option.

Until someone can give me definitive evidence to the contrary, for the moment I'm sticking with my original view of 20% of 412 production being manuals, meaning total world production 115, none factory-homolgated rfor U.S. sale. Of these, a small minority were imported to the States and "federalized" for EPA and DOT clearance, perhaps 20-30. Meanwhile, I'm combing my files to see if I can find the source of my original opinion.

P.S. I'm aware of a RHD 400i 5-speed manual, doubtless with high mileage, that is being offered in Britain at 27,995 sterling = approx $44,800.US. My 412GT has a bit under 34,000 km = 21,000 miles, well cared-for, multiple Ferrari Club Platinum Awards, etc. Present asking = $59,750., not so crazy for a splendid example with history.

 

Aye yer still a lucky man,

1 ok I will accept the 575 in an understated colour hey and the pugeot wasnt so bad anyway I loved mine (the pugeot 406 that is!!!)

2 Cor blimey i didnt think they built cars that could go fast and handle too. I eat humble pie American humble pie.

3 because any girl that was with you in one of those would believe you had loads of dough and would expect nothing less than to do some serious shopping.

4 Ok keep the Cadillac and get rid of all the Ferraris apart from the 412! all good fun good luck with the collection.
Regards
Alastair

 

Heres also these figures for info.
Regards
Alastair
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