Thanks but I will never know because I will be buried in it. I hope before that day to put on even half the miles you have on yours. Keep up the good work. Your my hero.
Based on what has happened to Dino prices and Corvette prices we may have a chance in 20-30 more years for the value to increase ... Dino production- 3,913 F355 production- 11,377 1963 Corvette production- 21,513 Remember beauty seems to count for more than anything; the Dino Beauty with performance; the Corvette Beauty, performance and sound; the F355
I believe Gerry summed it up nicely in post #24. A good many on this forum think because a 'Mutt' is listed and sells for 30 something on ebay, that sets the market price for the model... pure nonsense, couldn't be further from the truth. It took a long time but now that we understand and have solutions for the model and can make it reliable and not service heavy... the future prices will reflect that. Eliminate the negative points, leaving only the assets of the model to speak about and what do you have then? Performance comparisons being spoken about were from years back... not today. Sort out a 2.7 B and put it head to head with a 360 and the performance gap narrowed a good deal considering new developments. Sound? Never again to be matched in my opinion. Some complain about the engine coming out for service... a brilliant design, simple as that. If serviced as intended (a Very small handful of folks do that), the model needs only oil changes between engine outs. THAT is why it was designed that way, make it easy to PROPERLY maintain the drivetrain. Everything responsible for making stink and noise is all right there, in your face to be easily repaired and serviced. Look at it as a PITA to change two rubber bands and then you are correct in your thinking. Spider to B... personal preference only and there will be a rising market for both I believe. I found the perfect Spider and grabbed it... me in a Spider, go figure. It only took a few moments of thought before I realized I had the 348 IMSA race car if I wanted to get to the top of the mountain REALLY FAST. If that wasn't enough I have 5 other race cars for about any occasion or class at the track. A Spring day in the Rockies in a 355 Spider.... nothing short of priceless but I will get beaten to the top by a B and a TS. An interesting argument that boils down to preference only, each has their place and a market. I was captivated by this model the day I first drove one, it has remained my primary case study since that day. Finding a well maintained, good history, unmolested 355... that takes some effort! Restoring one and making it what you want (often a good choice if a solid mutt can be found for the right price).... no better time than the present as there are many available that were polished every day but never properly maintained. "My only question is. ..........Are 355 values going up?" No question, but only the well sorted examples, the mutts will remain storied cars and will give two distinct price ranges and it takes a very keen eye to differentiate the two. Technology costs money to maintain and this is the last of the low tech models. Small, light, powerful, slide it at 30* with confidence and with a sound that sets the wolves to howling. What else fills that slot?
It's a 50K car at best folks - not that much money in today's dollars. You don't have guys driving Audi A5's and debating whether their car is going to go up in value in the future. If you own one just drive it and enjoy it. If you are looking to buy - look to buy a clean one and try not to save $5K and buying a salvage one or one with questionable history. For all those dreamers thinking the 355's are going to go up in value sell your car now and buy some Apple stock and actually make some money.
A response, of sorts, to comments that only those who want one think they will go down. The bottom line to me (and yes I do not own one yet): I couldn't care less if they go up, down or side-ways, as frankly the 10k or so they will likely fluctuate in the near future is not that much money when talking about the maintenance, etc., involved. Frankly, in the end all a 355 is is a car. A very neat car, sure. But it's a toy and the value that one gets from such items, at least to me, cannot be measured by whether it is purchased for less than it's sold . Hence why I say I could not care less.
+1 ........... +2 ............ F355 .... the more time goes by ...... the more timeless it becomes ...........
If you have maintained your F355 to 100k standard. No way you could break even over the next 10-20 years putting 2-3k miles a year on the car. Especially if you love to hear the sounds a F355 can make. Passion is the only reason to purchase a F355. Cost has no bearing on it's purchase or maintenance.
The 355 will not go up in value. If more appreciated the car the way i do they'd rise but with the 360 and 430 coming down in price most can't resist owning a modern Ferrari for a few bucks more. The fears associated with expensive valve and header jobs will only add to the price stagnation. I plan on owning one in the next few years either way but think prices will stay about the same or even come down more in the future.
A Ferrari is not normally bought as an investment. But I think the question really is, if you buy a 355 today, will you see the depreciation that a 360 or 430 would bring. The answer is no. Car can only go so low. Look at 348 pricing. My friend bought his 355 for $125,000 about six years ago, and sold to me for $60,000. There is no way I can face the same depreciation because there is no way the car will be worth $5,000 in six years. People are correct though, the prices of 360's and 430's, and eventually the 458 will compete with the 355. You can debate how good the 355 is, but many new buyers will go for the most modern version they can afford.
Who gives a F**K what the prices are doing with a 355. They are an awesome car with their unique place within the F-car Patheon. Drive them and enjoy them as they are special. Am I the only one tired of realestate agent types whining about the prices of a performance obsolete,irrelevant to new technology treasure?
hard to say what exactly will happen, but as for now, the price you have to accept to actually sell your 355 seems pretty low. as a test of this, I went on eBay (not that ebay is any great indicator, but still...) and looked at completed listings. The only 2 that had actually sold, went for 40K or less. There were a few really nice ones that, being priced at 50-55K, didnt sell. today, I would say 40-45K is the ceiling for selling an average to good 355. An exceptional example may/would likely fetch more. As summer comes, that may go up slightly. but weather it stays up is yet to be known/seen.
I am not a 355 owner, but if I were to bet money I would say that of all the regular production Ferraris built in the last 20 years, the 355 has the best chance of going way up in value. There are many Ferrari owners who consider the 355 the best regular production car Ferrari ever built. I have driven a ton of Ferraris old and new, and I believe the 355 is the most visceral and intense ride out there. It is simply unbelievable how good that car is and yet how raw it still manages to be. It doesn't hurt that it has an engine note from heaven. 20 years from now, its cost of ownership will not be considered too steep in light of what the replacement cost will be on 20+ year old electric gizmos on the newer Ferraris. The 355 was an instant classic the moment it rolled onto the showroom. Those of you who have good ones, continue treating them with love and respect...they are worth it!
I think it's the production numbers that might make the F355 a bit more worthy in the far future. I mean look, the 355 has some 11K cars produced during its production, the 360 has some 17K and I would assume the 430 is more like 20-25K cars. Ferrari is has moved into the mass production era where it needs to be in order to stay alive. Lots of cars to be had on the second hand market and just look at the Lamborghini Gallardo for sale almost in the same range as the 360, I'm not sure how many Gallardos are made but, it's car still in production and the early ones are one heck of a bargain! How many 458 will be made is the real question as those who can afford to upgrade will at a much faster rate leaving a huge amount of 360s & 430 up for sale on the second hand market and thats when prices continue to go downward Its not a question of supply and demand anymore, the market is becoming flooded from the way I see it. What will give the 355 a solid value will be it's history and options, color combination and mileage. I mean, Factory Scuderia Sheilds, Challenge Grill, Optional Drilled Brakes, Carbon Fiber Seats, Tubi Exhaust. The debate on F1 vs. gated 6 speed I guess we will have to wait to see the outcome of that. The gated 6 Speed is a special thing to the 355. The 6 speed gated berlinetta will become the iconic car when all manual transmission are no longer produced. I have the 1999 355 F1 Berlinetta as I could not find a 6 Speed with the low mileage I wanted and service/maintence history I was looking for. These cars with special options will be your best bet and even today generate much attention, if that's your thing. As for me the styling of the 355 is what I like but, with the ALMS GT2 pushing hard on promoting the 430 & 458 which the 355 never got making it still unknown to many to this very day! A good thing? Going back 3 yrs ago I would have got a 360 Modena if the prices were what they are today. I mean you can get a clean low mileage 360 for the same price as 3 yrs ago today! Now why would you want the 355 today? Well I will tell you the 355 has a more tie to the 80/90's era. I guess it's about age and how long you have been dreaming of ownership. It really boils down to cost!!! Faster is better from Ferrari but, it will cost you one way or the other as the 355 is the best bang for buck when it come to performance from the prancing horse. I drive my 355 like it's meant, it's ultra clean but, I purchased it to enjoy and the performance, speed and sound which is unique to this car. So, like most of you have said already its not about what its worth 20yrs from now or how much lower the price will get, its about enjoying the moment in time when the F355 is still something special among the rest of these new era performance sports cars.
I agree with most of your points except this one. I could have bought a 430, 360 or 355. I chose the 355. Why? Because, as I mentioned in some other thread, imho the 355 is one of, if not THE most beautiful design to ever come out of Maranello. It has stood the test of time and still looks fresh by today's standards. Simple, sexy, uncluttered lines and the engine note has not been the same since this car was produced. But, of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I am terribly biased.
I agree. There is nothing from Maranello in the last 15 years that compares to a 355. The look, the sound etc... With that it saddens me to mention here first that I am selling my 95 GTS... For 100k!
I've been in the market for a f355 Berlinetta or GTS for about a month now and in the current market you'd be foolish to pay anything over $45k for a f355 in average condition. Most of what I see are 'average' cars on the market which is pretty good using the Ferrari scale (ie: the average condition '98 BMW is usually pretty bad). Unfortunately the market right now shows them as a car on the way down, or that there are at least about 30-40 cars bringing the others down or making them move much slower. The data: From 5/09 to 7/10 Manhiem had 13 f355s go through auction and the average mileage was about 26k and the average sale price was $42k with a low of $30k and high of $58k. eBay is not moving these cars at all. Only 2 have sold recently, look to be nice cars, one for $40k and the other for $47k. Most auctions aren't bidding over $45k unless it is something special. What bothers me is what seems to be a Ferrari tango going on out there with dealers and cars in general. There was a silver berlinetta in the LA area that was stagnant at $49k for a few months; then the car is no longer listed, then a week later it is on autotrader for $61k. Interesting. I've contact a few other 'sellers' who aren't really selling. So, what is the ad for? Maybe the wife said get rid of it and you're plan is that 'nobody even calls on it sweetie" It seems to me that there are probably a handful of cars that are actually for sale. Cars that the owner/dealer is actually trying to sell soon. They are all priced in the mid-40's. The rest of the cars just seem to be out there on the web to sit and hope that someone will pay $15k over current market prices. What hurts these cars in particular is the service costs and economy scale. Folks that can afford to buy a $100k car can certainly afford to buy a $125k car and upwards. Once the 360 came down, the f355 had to land in a certain price point to move out of garages and dealer lots. That price point was probably $55k. Personally, as a buyer right now, I won't even look at a car priced over $50k. There are plenty of cars under and as long as you aren't looking for super low mileage or a special color/top/trans combo. I also have the benefit of owning a shop, so I don't need a perfect car, if I find one that needs engine out, I probably won't offer more than $40k unless it is otherwise perfect. However, that being said, there are going to be plenty of cars in the next few years that will suffer from those that can afford to buy but not fix. That'll probably be a short-run price booster. But the value 10-20 years from now, kinda like trying to predict the stock market. I'd say that the values will probably bottom out around $30k, which is great. If you buy any car right now for $45k and it is worth $30k ten years later, that's impressive.
The only thing that will cause the value of any Ferrari to increase is rarity. The 355/360/430 are not low volume cars. The 458 will not be low volume. As all of these depreciate, so will the 355 to a greater extent. They all offer greater performance and lower maintenance costs (in many cases). Any Ferrari under 500 units of production (550 barchetta, 16m, etc) has a "chance of increasing". All others are not likely.
Agree on your overall numbers but for a non-mechanic it'd be wise to buy one with documented valve guide, header and cat replacements for a few bucks more. I'd gladly pay 50 to 55k for a car with these issues resolved and documented instead of a car that otherwise seemed ok for 45k with these issues looming in the future.
while manheim is a good gauge of the market, a well sorted 355 will not likely ended up on the auction block. i just spent the last few weeks looking for a clean 355 and there aren't many out there.
