'yo man wazzup???' 'Got me a real nice European sportscar named Feranti or something' 'Gotta have those nice little twennie inchers in heavy chrome, me bro' 'I tell ya, if it can't hold me iPod it'll mean no **** to me man' 'This ain't no nothing man' Let's pick up some Lombargani or what???' 'Gotta be black, man or pearly white, I tell ya!' When a Ferrari is on a poster, it is cool and you gotta have it once in your lifetime. But, how many young, or younger, people now about Ferrari history? Do they know that there is a very rich history behind that prancing horse? Okay, when chassis number digits increase it is less easy to separate one car from the other. But do younger people love to study old Ferraris and sort out their history? I wonder. I think it is important that younger people show interest in the old stuff. Otherwise history will be lost. What are your thoughts about this? Regards, Wouter Bekker (37)
I can remember just a few years ago when NNO/Carbon was new to the Ferrari world, way back when he was still "Des". I was amazed that he showed such an interest in the history of Ferrari, and had a genuine desire to learn about the older models. Most young people would walk right past a whole row of 50's, 60's, 70's Ferraris to have a look at one new one.
Maturity being what it is, I think kids can't see past the 360s that the've been seeing. Then they realize that it is in some way conected to that car that old actor drove, and so on. There are certainly varying degrees to this. I can look back at my learning experiences and you yours, and see that it takes time. There are those who only want the new car and won't care about history or the man the car is named after. Then some of them will learn that there is more to Ferrari than what first met their eye.
I'm 25 and hopefully still considered young(ish). I read and re read as much as possible. I have over 200 books on Ferrari and have created various chassis databases for certain models, old and new. Very few young and "newer" Ferrari owners are aware of the heritage attached to Ferrari, to them it is a status symbol or a sign of wealth. It is my guess that the vast majority of 430 owners know what a 330 GT (for example) is. I'm no expert but I enjoy reading all I can about Ferrari, the cars and the man, and the enjoy trying to trace ownership chains through attending shows, reading the various owners club journals from the UK, USA, Germany, Italy, Japan, France and more
Funny... I think that people on the younger side of the automobile spectrum (i.e. 15-30) would easily take a modern 360 over any 275 GTB that is worth four-fold the amount... I'm part of the younger spectrum and I find very few people my age that know there is actually more than one Ferrari car to have 250 as part of its model designation... But I guess its a reflection on our culture that seems to make people epitomize what's in a music video much more than actual beauty... (Tell me a 500 TRC is not beautiful...) And I also think that once the generation of baby boomers starts to be unable to collect and drive the more historic cars in the Ferrari continuum prices might actually start to go down as there will be only a few of us who have a true appreciation for them... I don't know... what do others have to say? M
Raised on a staple diet of historic racing and with limited interest in post F40 products from Maranello, I felt like a toddler at the RM Ferrari sale in May....... http://www.ferrariownersclub.co.uk/happenings/2007/may/italy_postcard/text.asp The FOC in the UK is one of the most active clubs in the Ferrari world and I've met some great enthusiasts and many more friends through membership of it.It genuinely concerns me that the knowledge of Ferrari history and cars produced from '50 -'75 is limited and that's because 355/360/430/550 tipo's are most numerate - the older cars are acknowledged but their history overlooked Most car guys my age want an Enzo not a 250GTO and if you asked them the difference between a 250 Ellena and a Boano - they'd struggle! I started young - I inherited a love of automotive history from my father - my family's first classic was a '48 Bristol 400 and our first Ferrari -a 330GT MK 2 is still with us 20 + years on!! Others have been and gone, but I registered here to learn and increase my understanding of Ferrari's rich history and to have the knowledge to maintain our Daytona's and 330 long into the future......reading and writing about it helps... Ed Brown - a little older than Wouter but not much! E
Interesting topic and being fairly young(23) I can say that by age 13 I had read Enzo's autobiography and that really made me understand the legend that is Ferrari, granted I cant quote chassis numbers like some here can, that always amazes me but what also amazes me is that I know about Ferrari history than most Ferrari owners I know. In fact there is an amusing story, It was 1997 and I was 13 at the time and I went to see about 60 Ferraris that were in the city where I live as part of the 50th celebrations, I knew more about the cars than any of the owners walking around, was actually very embarassing, that knowledge got me invited on a drive with the Ferrari club and today 10 years later I am a fairly frequent contributor to the SA Ferrari club magazine. I think knowledge is gained through respect, I have learnt much from this forum from just reading, book are all good and well but when you have people like Napolis and others that own some truly amazing example of Ferrari history the info they pass on is somehow more authentic than some author thats never even driven a P3. To be honest this forum can be dauting for the novice to post on, I am very concious not to post unless I am 99% sure of my facts, esp with experts like Marcel around... At the end of the day its about passion and enthusiasm, my passion is Ferrari and learning as much about it as possible because as I wrote in my recent article in teh SEFAC magazine "Ferrari doesnt sell cars, it sells a dream, an ambition" and to know the history around Ferrari is to truly immerse oneself in that legend.
i'm 17 and my favourite ferraris are from 50's and 60's. i carefully examine history of each car built and am present on various european classic motorisation events. i'm writing articles to biggest polish classic motorisation magazine - ClassicAuto and am responsible for Ferrari database in it. i'm also in very close contact with auction houses like RM auctions, goodings & co etc and cooperating with maranello rosso museum in san marino
I'm 21 and my favourite Ferrari has to be the 64 250 GTO - also a fan of the 275 GTB 4 cam and Daytona, etc... Favourite car of all time? (SACRELIGIOUS!!!) The Lamborghini Miura SV. Favourite modern Ferrari? The 550 Barchetta, which modern supercar buyers seem to have avoided in droves. Just no love for this car... any irony? There is a definite appreciation for the old iron in young people, but like with anything else - you have to ask the right person. Most all of my friends don't have a clue as to what an Enzo or 599 is, they're just not into cars, let alone old cars.
You would be surprised! I became involved with studying and collecting histories on old Ferraris at the age of 19, but this fellow F-Chatter (who will celebrate his 24th B-day this month) started much younger than I did: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/member.php?u=7004 http://www.scuderia.cc/default.htm
with me (25) the love for classics runs in the family i guess i've always liked classics ans their history better than the new technological marvels my favourite of all time; 250 GT SWB sefac hotrod or an alfa romeo tipo 33/2 daytona
well yeah i haven't mentioned i have biggest central european website about ferraris, gathering hundreds of enthusiasts from poland and gradually some owners... - http://www.scuderiaferrari.pl/ i spend many hours every day on it
Theres hope, Kenny H started learning about Ferraris young & he's in his early 20s now & in the auto/media biz doing very well
People are generally interested in what was popular in their youth. I think this applies to any form of historical event; not just Ferraris.
I used to be young and I find the vintage cars gorgeous, but inaccessible. Yes, I love reading about David Letterman's cars, and the Lussos and 275 GTS's at Concorso are lovely, and of course the 250 GT Spyder CA is stunning. Yes, I know that Enzo drove for Alfa Romeo, and who Luigi Chinetti was, and even what a Colombo V12 is. But - no one drives these, and they tend to be insanely rare and expensive to buy and maintain. What do you do with a $1 million+ vintage Ferrari convertible? No even drives Boxers around here (in climate-controlled San Diego!!). So I grew up liking 308/328/TRs, and as far as I can tell (and I admit I'm no expert in vintage) those are the first ones that are relevant to those of us without mechanics in residence -- merely having him on speed dial is OK. I'm no fan of the blobby, plasticky newer models (360, 430, Murcielago, etc.), and I enjoy history for history's sake. But I would have a hard time telling a Boano from an Ellena, and I don't lose sleep over it because I'll never own either of those cars or see them outside a museum/concours. They are interesting, but about as relevant as Duesenbergs or Bentley Blowers.
I fully expect my son will get it. Hard to imagine he won't..... Sadly he will also be a Wolverhampton Wanderers football supporter as I have gifted him that by birth right as well. That won't translate to the US Fchat contingent but the Brits will understand. You win some you lose some. Darren. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Funnily enough I was pondering this question coming back from the Goodwood Revival last night, mainly as many people both old and young are surprised at my knowledge of the older cars. I too picked the bug up from my Dad, hardly surprising when the first car I can remember travelling is the Daytona! Matt (33)
As far as young people recognizing Ferraris, there seems to be no problem there. When I take my car to shows, the kids all recognize the car immediately and many seem more knowledgeable about the car than their fathers! And some of these kids are 11, 12, 13 years old! I think the marque has gotten enough exposure in the media (Magnum P.I., Miami Vice, Ferris Bueller, etc) that some Ferraris are no mystery. As for the vintage ones, I think the trick is to make them more visible to the public. I know that it's tough with cars that are worth $300k or more, but remember that the cars were built to be driven and seen, not locked away in garages. At the car events I attend, the Ferraris in attendance are almost always 308s, 328s, 348s, 355s and such; even the contemporary and newer 12-cylinder cars are rarely seen, let alone 250s, 330s, 365s and the like.
"At the car events I attend, the Ferraris in attendance are almost always 308s, 328s, 348s, 355s and such; even the contemporary and newer 12-cylinder cars are rarely seen, let alone 250s, 330s, 365s and the like". Here's ours used for display in UK 3 weeks ago at the AutoItalia event.... Image Unavailable, Please Login
My daughter is 11. As one of her 5th grade projects last year she prepared this powerpoint presentation - basing it on some of my Ferrari books and things she found on the web. One may question the choice of colours but she knows a lot about Enzo . My 8 year old son is just as into it as she is. Sorry about the loss of quality I had to convert it to jpg's. Oh - English is her 2nd language and her dream is to be the 1st female formula 1 driver. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I suspect that in 40 year's time many people who love the old Ferraris will be either too old to drive or work on them, or be dead already. There will almost certainly be less interest, especially in the models which have no historic significance. A gto will probably always be a desireable and expensive Ferrari, but I doubt the same will hold true for all the touring cars.
In 40 years' time, driving these cars will be much more of an event than it is now, and much more expensive too. Much less politically correct as well. There'll be plenty of interest in it! Just look at the interest in the vintage car market now, and the success of events like Goodwood. These events hark back to a day when you could still drive these cars uninhibited. 40 years from now, we'll be hankering after 2007, as we are hankering after 1967. Oh, and before I forget: impressive work by your daughter, PoleApart! Very well done! Onno