There were aspects of the Enzo that I wasn't crazy about, but now I love it. The 512BBi took a while to grow on me. There are a few that still haven't grown on me.
Agree completely re F40 & F50 - only in the past couple of years have I begun to desire an F40 - as for the Enzo though a McLaren remains infinitely more desirable as a modern super-car for roughly the same money
612 Scaglietti. First I thought they were really bulky and uninspiring, about two years later I loved it. I am sure that many negative initial reactions to a new design are because of the first official photos which are, at least in Ferraris case, not that great most of the time.
Not exactly what you meant, but my 328 seems to have gotten bigger inside. It seemed pretty cramped when I first bought it, but now it's very comfortable. And vice versa. I'm not a fan of the 550's styling, but the "go" bits make up for it. A car to drive, not to look at. The 246GTS Dino is possibly the prettiest street car ever made. But mechanically, it's not Ferrari's best ever. (It ain't too shabby, just not twice as good as the 3x8s that cost half as much. But it *is* pretty.)
Not "possibly", it is! Of course, I may be biased. Mechanically, it's better than any other 70's car I've owned. Quick, light, nimble as all get out, and once sorted, doesn't require gobs of expensive maintenance, at least not any more than other 35 year old cars I've had some experience with. Yes, it costs 3-4X what a 308 costs to buy, but surely not 3-4X to maintain. And some of the stuff is pretty easy to fix. Well, ok, maybe easy is a stretch. Another Ferrari that's growing on me is the 330GT 2+2 four headlight model. For some reason on that car, it just seems to work. I still would prefer a two headlight model, I think, but the 4 looks different and interesting on the car. DM Image Unavailable, Please Login
The Daytona 365 GTB/4. When it first arrived it had those funny glass covers on the headlights. Also it wasn't an exotic looking mid-engined car. The Miura mid-engined car was over at Lamborghini at that time. Then the Fly Yellow Daytona Spyder arrived and the Daytona gained new life with the roof cut off but it still had those funny glass covers on the headlights! CH
I'm surprised nobody else would list the Testarossa. I thought it was an abysmal step backwards in design/styling when it first appeared (compared to the flowing lines of the 308/328 or Boxers). The original TR has really grown on me & greatly prefer its looks to the 512 tr & 512 M...
Wow, I'm surprised it took time for so many to like the F40. For me it's the 512BB. Never really even payed much attention before, now I think it's beautiful.
I loathed the styling of the 612 when it first came out, but I adore it now, especially in Blu Mirabeau.
599, I know, I know, call me weird. I hated the back end, "only one light per side?!" But then I, 1.) heard it 2.) saw it in person 3.) sat in it. Now it's my favorite of the current line up!
++. Saw one in the metal for the first time at the Boardwalk show this past spring, and it really is all of that. But of course, I kind of still would not mind having a Mondial Cab...
512bb. I think it was the huge wheel arch gaps. Had that suv look! But lowered it takes on a whole new style, in my eyes. F50 took a while until I saw a black one.
I hated the 612 - it was huge. When I first saw it, and touched it, and sat in it, I fell in love! Best, Jon
360 for me. First time I saw it, I didn't like the styling (too round). When I bought my 355 spider, I kept telling myself that the 355 is prettier. The last few weeks, I have had my 355 at the dealership for some service. I have noticed that I keep looking at the 360 modenas more and more. And I keep licking them more and more. Maybe its wanting what you don't have. Theo
For me it was the 612. Think they look great in the two-tone paint schemes, like on the 60th anniversary cars.
Same thing happened to me with the 575 SuperAmerica. When it first came out at Pebble Beach I thought what's the big deal. Thought the roof was too funky. Now I look at it and am surprised it's resale is not higher. Awesome car. Really. Much better than the 550 Barchetta (and I love the Barchetta but not as much.) The looks of the 360 shocked me when it first came out. After a couple of years I had to have one. Love it. Now the 430 bothers me. Lines are not as clean. Funky design details. Will I come around? Stay tuned (been on the waiting list since before we knew the details of the car).
I actually liked it less after seeing it, and it's my third favorite of the current lineup. But, it's new, so who knows - maybe it will take some time to grow on me. I agree with you on the F512M. The wheels look like the designer was trying too hard, and the tail lights are puny. But mostly I think it was already a dated design by 1995. The dealbreaker on the original TR is that the wheels look tiny. IMO, the 512TR wheels vastly improved the car, and at one point I thought of buying one in black/tan, but in general my enthusiasm for the TR series has waned over time. I'd agree with Sheehan that the design looks dated now, whereas the Boxer has a better shot at 'timeless'. Of course a Jag XK 150 also looks dated, so there's a nostalgia thing to it, if that floats your boat.
Probably the best two-tone color scheme I've seen in ages. I was pleasantly stunned at how nice it looked.
Every Ferrari since the 360 (except the 599) I have hated until the next one came out. Until the 430 came out I hated the 360 now I love it, I hated the 456 until the 612 and so on.