Poll - Your age when you purchased 1st Ferrari

How old were you when you purchased your first Ferrari?

 

Just taking a quick look at early results, most were younger than I expected. I wonder if this being an internet poll the results are not truly representative of all Ferrari buyers because some older folks are not very likely to be using the internet.

Hmmm.

 

Possibly. But these are very early results; give it a couple of days before you jump to any conclusions.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

There was a long thread with a poll about this already - do a search and you'll find it.

 

I think this poll will draw out certain type of results, in that some people who did it early on are more likely to want to respond. Those who did it later in life might not care as much about responding to the poll. Also, internet users are likely to be younger.

Ask the same question at any Italian car show or meet and I suspect you'll get wildly different results!

 

Although, at n = (51) , we already have a statistically relevant sample size......

I am also shocked by the apparent skew to the younger end --- makes me wonder whether I should have been born about (10) years later than I was --- LOL

 

Looks to me like a lot of us tried to get it done before 30 or 50. I bet if you made the age range 28-30 and 48-50 a lot of those would be in there.

Apparently there are two mid life crisis

I think I said the same thing the last few times we did this.

 

I bought my Dino at age 23. It was a basket case I paid 8 grand for and spent 2 years putting back on the road.

There's a lot of ways to get a Ferrari if you really want to. Not everyone has to buy a brand new F430.

Didn't we just do this poll a couple of months ago?

 

That sounds like the Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang story!

Congrats, I'm sure it was a fun time of your life... I wish I did something like that when I was younger.

My first was a Mondial 3.2 Convertible in my 20's (Late 80's).

 

do ''hot wheels''cars count?

 

Sorry if this is a repeat poll, I just joined recently.

 

Well, the sample size was much smaller when I posted that comment.

I'm surprised at how many people my age and younger have Ferraris (I'm 26). I'm aiming for Ferrari ownership by 36 or sooner.

It is an interesting distribution.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

I bought my first Ferrari in my early 30's, a used 348ts I paid cash for it, but I had almost bought a 328GTS in my early 20's. I was a week from paying about $30k cash for a few years used one and then boom, Enzo Ferrari dies and prices went through the roof. Dino's were selling for $20k before he died and suddenly went way up as well. I had saved up for a while working an extra job just to buy my first Ferrari, my dream car. Enzo's death meant I had to wait almost 10 more years to own one and I bougt my 2nd Jaguar (first operating Jag) instead of that 328GTS (so NOT the same thing).

When you are younger and buy your first Ferrari, the focus is all on being able to afford to "buy" one, then you realize the focus should have been on being able to afford to "own" one, as it is the upkeep etc costs for a car you drive once a week or on special occasions that is key. I did not by my second Ferrari until I felt the costs to buy one and own one were not going to keep me up at night and until I could ensure I could afford to keep it in perfect shape.

 

I fell backward into Ferrari ownership at 38. I'd never figured I'd be a high wage earner in my entire life. I was recently looking for a "fun" car as I've come to a comfortable place. I was looking at Corvettes, Porsches and Lotus when I realized that I could obtain an F-car for less than a new Corvette and from F-chat research that I could be my own mechanic. A match made in heaven. If it had been my goal in life to own a Ferrari, I'd have had one in my late 20's to early 30's.

 

Throw out the "61-65", "66-70" & "71+" ranges, as they appear to outliers anyway, and we have a very classic normal distribution centered about the "36-40" range --- which makes good sense as an average.

 

I was 33 when I bought my first Ferrari. It was a 88 red/tan 328GTS.

 

I was 36, although it could have been 32 (I lent my brother money so he wouldn't have to put a mortgage on his home).

 

I owned my first Ferrari, a 800 miles pre-owned '90 Testarossa when I was 19. But, my parents paid for it. Does that count? (I was very spoiled & did not know how to drive a manual when I got it. I will never buy any of my kids a Ferrari. A Volkswagen at best.) Then I bought a '99 355f1 Spider at age 29 with my own fund.

 

That's very nice of you.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Thanks Andrew. It turned out to be a wise move as well as lucky for him because he is in the auto industry and last year was laid off for almost 1-year. He is now back to work (thank God!!), and I am not charging a penny of interest, he is still paying me back the loan at his leisure, but I am not as strict as the bank so he won't lose his home

 

I'm 40 and still waiting (and that damned lottery isn't helping either!)

 

That is nice of you

All I ever got from my brother was hand-me-down clothes and a never ending supply of "purple nurples" --- LOL.
In fact, I'm dreading Thanksgiving Day because even now, at the ages of 43 and 40, the threat of the "purple nurple" still exists !!!

 

I had just graduated from Michigan State University as an engineer in 1969. I had sold my 1965 Alfa Romeo Sprint GT for $1200 and I borrowed $1600 from Mom and Dad. That with some savings I purchased a 1961 250 GT spyder sight unseen from one Agustino Matoli in Rome for $2900.00 CIF to New York. I paid off my folks with half of my gross pay of $808.54 a month for my first 4 months of work and it was mine, all mine. My, how time changes things.

Diverdan

 

I went in halvsies with my dad on a 330 gtc in 1973. I was 17. We traded a 68 Ford Thunderbird (our cost 900.00) strait accross for a pretty ratty 1967 330 GTC. We sold the car for 3400.00 to Bill Rudd after putting about 200.00 into it for upholstry repair. Bill Drove it from Las Vegas to Reno and did the "works" on the car. At one point the car was probably, after Bill was done, the best 330 GTC in the world.

I wonder where that car is now?

 

funny you mentioned this. my goal has always been to own a ferrari before i turn 30, and only being a couple years away i'm really starting to look hard now. I don't know why I'm so fixated on this goal but I really am trying to make it happen.