Hardtop great post .. I am in Miami and it just seems the dealers do not want to even put me on a list no matter how much deposit I offer ,. They want me to buy something now from them in order to move to the ..... " take the real order stage " and I do not want a 360 . I think Miami is a tough place when it comes to dealers wanting to take on new business from a person who does not want to buy anything from them and just wants to give a deposit and get on the list . Thanks again for the post .
I believe a quality dealer will put you on a list and honor that list. That is certainly the impression I have received from my dealer (and from people who have purchased from them). Unfortunately, there are some questionable dealers out there.
And Miami must be the leader in questionable dealers it is the leader in questionable everything ......
Dave, excellent post. Thanks for saying the truth on many fronts. Another problem not in our equation is how FNA forces dealers to sells cars at MSRP and ALSO pay outrageous prices for service tools/parts. i swear some days i think Ferrari is much like the mafia in their coercion tactics and the way they conduct business from the top down.
Probably true enough for the "I need a new one again" crowd. Quite a number of people get in the "lease period" mentality: after a few years, their "new" cars lose that elusive inner glow, or novelty, or whatever makes people want to replace it with a new one. In sports cars, the latest is always just that hair better performance, and there are people who will ride the crest of depreciation to get it. Mundane cars promote this mentality, as most dealers can't fix cars that are more than 5 years old. Partly because the cars aren't built to last (parts welded in instead of replaceable), and partly because they have far less experience with older ones. If you're looking at a 2-5 year old used Ferrari, it's like shopping for any other ex-lease vehicle. But then there are the long period cars. Mileage matters when all other things are equal ... and for things to be equal, you need two. If you get the chance to buy a 365 California Spider or a 330P3, are you going to say, "Nah, I'll wait for a low mileage one."? If it's really pristine, it was a ground-up restoration. I still think that the "best of both worlds" for Italian cars is to buy it new and keep it until the frame rots. Then the odo doesn't matter. At that point, you have your very own "barn find", right in your own barn, ready for restoration. Besides, if you keep an Italian car for more than 10 years, at some point, the odo will break. (It follows that if you're shopping for an older Italian car, don't take the odo reading at face value.)
The reason that most Ferraris from the 50s and 60s are pristine is that they have been restored(probably in the 80s) after having the being driven hard for decades...back then they were only considered quirky Italian sports cars, not works of art as they are treated today. If you will talk to some of the "old timers" they will tell you how 250s and other now valuable collector cars were used as daily drivers in the rain, sleet and snow back when they were just used cars.
EXACTLY my point! No offence as everyone here probably KNOWS i have been busy tracking the living h${{ out of the Ferrari here and am an enthusiast. Yet a nameplate or where the car is made does not blind me to the fact the new Corvette is a great VALUE and servicing should be less than a Fcar too. Now imagine the new Corvette with sticker rubber, more agressive tire alignment... And the results of the past few 24 hour races.... well... that speaks for itself.
Thanks. I was going to let you know it looked great. I guess I will have to wait until we cross paths down the road.
Hek. to all do not be surprise of all the budy budy deal that happens with the dealers, a perfect exemple I was interested in one time to buy the new Z06 Corvette but guess what,,,,, when I talk to the dealer,,,, sure we can put you in the list, BUT the last guy in the list is payying 15K over the MSRP,, so how much you willing to pay above 15k so we can put you on the top of the list ha, ha.... I say see you, so you can see how much greed is upther.
As a businessman myself, I don't have a problem with that. You have to take advantage of a good situation. How many unsalable Chevys do you think the factory shoves down their throat for every Z06? At least this way the buyers are enthusiasts who will keep/drive the car, and those who want it the most get in front. Before long, the price will fall to MSRP. Compare that to the Fcar dealer who delivers a new spider for 225K and the buyer sells it immediately for 300K to someone else. What did the buyer ever do to deserve this windfall? Nothing. If a dealer decides to reward someone who bought a bunch of cars, including maybe a 612, I can't argue with that. FNA has screwed up the market. I say let dealers sell at market, gets rid of speculators, helps dealers make up for the beating they take on 612's and some Masers, and prices will come down to MSRP quicker. No one is happy with the way 360's went and 430's are going except speculators. Dave
to make 70K after being on a list for 3 years is probably tempting for many who get the call that their # has come up . That is close to 2k a mouth for 3 years while you do nothing and a few thousand dollar deposit is tied up .