355 prices are going...

Seems like when a new Ferrari model comes out, it affects the value of the model that was 2-3 times before and drives down the price for about a decade and then later it picks up again.

See if you follow:

308-328 value went way down when the 355 came out and went back up when the 430 came out

348-355 value went way down when the 430 came out and is going back up when the 458 came out

360 value is going down now with the introduction of the F12

and so on and so forth....

You can also say it goes by 10 to 15 year cycle increments:

308-328: 1980-1995 high value - 1995 to 2010 low value - 2010 on value going up

348-355: 1990-2005 high value - 2005 to 2015 low value - 2015 on value will go up (presumably)

360: 2000-2010 high value - 2010 to 2020 low value (presumably)

When a new car is out, the market wants it, after 10 years the market grows tired of it, after 20 years it wants it again......

 

+1. My 1995 F355 GTB Red/Tan with recent major and fully sorted currently has 48K miles on it and is running strong. The car has won multiple concours under my ownership getting 1st or 2nd place. I don't plan to sell anytime soon, but when I do I always wonder what the market price for a well sorted 'high' mileage F355 GTB will be.

 

I expect that over time the variation within 355 pricing (and 360 pricing) will be predicated in large part based on the gearbox. The F1 cars will trade at a discount to the 6 speed cars, and not solely because of the higher repair costs.

The early F1 technology, which was remarkable in the mid to late 90s, now feels very dated. Gearbox technology has made huge advances in the last 20 Years and people are now conditioned to expect smooth shifting paddle systems in entry level Audis.

The early Ferrari F1 gearboxes are lethargic and balky by comparison. People were willing to overlook this when the technology was new but given what we are now used to, it will be harder for people to make this concession. IMO this will depress the values of the F1 355s, 360s and 575s. The F430 may be the first car to have the technology sufficiently sorted that it stands the test of time.

I don't know the gearbox split on 355s, but I expect there were a good number of 6 speeds, maybe more than half, so lots of 6 speeds out there. 360s were mostly f1 so I expect that those limited 6 speed 360s will carry a nice premium relative to the f1s.

Do others have a similar or different opinion on the gearbox as a lever point?

 

Let's also remember who invented the technology and the fact that this was the first street car with such a system will surely add to its value. I never drove an F1 355 but many owners still love driving them and it's been 15 years.

 

I would not be surprised if you never owned or even drove a 355F1. People seem to blather the same stuff over and over with strong opinions about things they never personally experienced. You may be the exception but I'm guessing not. I've had zero problems w/ my F1 system and I've heard the same from other owners. I've never heard of anyone having major problems like what is continually passed as urban legend. I believe that this F1 system has the best features of all the system out there including the newest ones in that the throttle is still under your control. It gives you control over the car that the newer systems take away. The fact that this is the 1st production car to offer an F1 system will make it very desirable going forward and gives it a historical significance. The only proper use of the terms "Lethargic & balky" should be applied to the manual transmission. I also wonder about the growing number of people that can't drive and never will drive a manual and might view them as quaint old technology akin to hand cranking the engine to start it. There will still be a market for them but don't count out the F1s

 

There will always be a following for the 355 and I don't disagree that the car may eclipse the value of the non Stradale 360. I think it could be similar to how Porsche 993 values are/have overtaken 996 values. IMO the 355 is best sounding of any of the modern V8 Ferraris.

The market prices are defined by what new buyers are willing to pay and I am of the opinion that fewer of those buyers will be attracted to the older f1 technology. I should qualify my comments by saying that I've not owned an f1 355, but have owned both a '99 360 F1 and a 2005 575 HGTC. I'm assuming that the 355 F1 is less evolved than either of those cars.

 

Microfirm,

I didn't say that the older F1 system was unreliable - I never had any material failures on mine. I also get that people build a connection with their cars and become accustomed to the way the cars work, for good or for bad.

To provide some further context for you and to help you understand where I'm coming from, I've owned an F1 360; Stradale; F430; Scud; 430 challenge; 575 HGTC; 599 and 458. So, I do have some experience with the evolution of the Ferrari F1 technology and stand by my opinion.

 

I agree with those on page 1: 45-55k is a good selling price, influenced by how recent the major and, of course, color, condition, and miles.

While I agree with others that eBay is not a good gage of F355 prices, it is nevertheless a drag on 355 values. I personally benefitted from that phenomenon, because the seller of the one-owner 355 I bought priced his (in a local craigslist ad) based upon what he saw happening on eBay. Yes, my experience is anecdotal, but I don't think you can deny that eBay is a drag on values. It is a great place for desperate people to dump cars.

I also agree that the GTBs and GTSs are priced a little higher now because F car enthusiasts' enthusiasm. But when the 355 starts to appreciate, the spiders will eventually become more valuable when the speculators come into the market (like the Dino).

The spider top is an over-engineered pain, but there is ample information on this site on how to maintain and repair it for next to nothing in costs. A little TLC and they work vey well.

 

If the the range for a well sorted car is $45--$55K then that means prices are down from the $65K to $75K range in 2008 when I bought mine. My opinion. They will hit $30K to $35K. I like the 355 and glad I owned one--it will always have a space in my heart since it was my first Ferrari, but very happy that I don't own one anymore. Also, I'm not sure why everyone believes that just because a car is listed on ebay that it is junk. Simply not true.

 

Also for anyone who thinks and treats this car as an investment...well I have a bridge I want to sell you.

 

Maybe on the whole I'd agree with that, but then again, if you just buy stocks without much thought or research, you'd be lucky to get great return.

Something to think about: http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/08/classic-cars-beat-sp500/

Not saying it's without risk...I've more than doubled my "investment" with my E-type FWIW.

 

The 355 is not an investment grade car yet. Not sure it ever will be....don't care either way as I drive mine as often as I can...

But.....what was the general opinion and pricing of the Dino back in 1978 or so?

....and what are they worth today?

Just sayin'

 

$45-$55k seems like a pretty narrow band to me. Is there a premium for the GTS? I would guess that it is still tough to find a good GTS for less than $70k-$75k.

Am I right?

 

+1

eBay is a great marketplace for all sorts of things and I'm sure most of the people here have used eBay before so why is it bad to shop for a Ferrari on eBay?

A lot of reputable dealers and actual Ferrari dealers post cars on eBay so what's wrong with that?

Is a Ferrari less of a good purchase because it's for sale on eBay rather than another "cars for sale" website?

eBay may not be the place to actually "buy" the car but it's a great place for dealers to show their inventory to the entire world and it's a great place for a buyer to find the car they want.

Most people probably won't bid 150k and send it via Paypal but it will make them aware of a certain car in a certain place and they will most likely call direct, take a flight and go see the car before they buy it from the dealer and complete the transaction outside of eBay.

 

I don't recall reading that anyone stated the cars on ebay are junk

 

I bought my car on eBay and glad I did. In fact. I bought my Porsche Turbo also on eBay, but sold it on craigslist - go figure.

As much as I prefer my 348SS, the 355 is a car that I believe has nearly hit its low point. It will be like the 328 to the 308/328 line. In time we may see some 355's priced at or over the dropping 360 market price. I believe this is because the 355 is the end of an era of the V-8 cars. Many writers have commented how the 360 is the beginning of a new era for the V-8 cars. Nostalgia prompts us to look back at the 355 as the best of that era, the pinnacle for hand made Ferrari V-8 cars, forget about the reality.

The 355 will always be a great V-8 Ferrari with lots of style, great performance and not overly much technology (more than my liking). It will eventually become a timeless market in the V-8 model line of Ferrari. Once you get on top of the maintenance, they should not be too expensive to keep. They are tunable to 400 HP, which should be enough for most people.

My advice would be to line one up soon if you are interested in the car. You can not going to see $35K 355's. Somewhere in the $40's seems to be the lower limit before they start their inevitable creep upward. Get a Berlinetta now. I'm still looking even though I am more than happy with my SS.

 

My crystal ball is currently on recharge..

Only time will tell on the 355.

Key points

Timeless looks
Fantastic engine sound
Simple design (easy to work on)
Lots of WOW factor
Available in many configurations body and trans
The more people that can afford one will eventually raise the price.

 

I don't realy care since I'll never sell mine (I hope!), but I already see lots of evidence in the 355 market that it's value is already on the rise. There will always be outliers, and I've seen $45k cars that I wouldn't pay 35k for, but 45 is about rock bottom for a decent car. Many GTSs are over 70 and a have a "buy" rating at that price. The rest will follow.

 

You may very well be right although I think not, but E bay is not an accurrate method by which to judge. I have sold half a dozen cars by using e bay and not one of them sold through e bay. E bay is a good way to get your product out there but the actual negotiations are seldon through e bay, at least not on a 50k car.

 

+1. I saw my 355 on ebay also, but did the actual transaction at the dealership.

 

I don't have a problem with ebay cars just make sure you do your homework pior to buying, I think everyone on here would agree with that.
I've bought a few big ticket items via ebay including my 1999 355 GTS and a Mooney M20B airplane.

 

They are junk for the simple reason that there are plenty of people out there looking for a good 355 and the good ones dont make it to ebay. It takes around 2 years to find a proper 355 and many that are looking have their eyes on some that they will pounce on when the owner says that he is selling. In other words the good 355s never make it onto the market...spiders will because the purist dosnt want a spider. They look like someone pitched a tent on the car when they are up. The aero changes dramatically and there is far too much flex in the body. Also many of the ebay cars have issues that the seller is attempting to hide and lots of them have had the odos rolled back. Im not lieing when I tell you that I wouldnt sell my 95B for 100gs. The 355 is simply one of the best Ferraris out there.

 

I think one problem with the market and pricing and whatnot is that there are VERY few people who are really buying the car to keep forever. Even if they think they might, you'd be a fool not to think on values as you buy, because what if you don't like it?

The cars in the hands of the people who have decided that "this is the one" are not going to come to be listed for sale. But those are the cars that are the best maintained. So the way to do it is to buy while the getting is good and cross all the T's and dot all the I's. You won't make money on it, but you will have a fantastic experience!

 

And those people dont do the proper maintainance thus you have so many POS 355s out there that so many complain about when they break down or they have to do the 30k service when one hasnt been done in 10 years. From what ive seen 7 out of 10 owners dont even know what Hill Engineering means let alone Dave Helms and a gold connector kit. Also most of the posters on the 355 site have never owned a 355 but pretend to know everything about them. When they were selling for 130gs they couldnt wait for them to go below 100gs and then it became 70gs and now 50gs.....they are hoping that one day they will be able to trade in their mini-van for one and then look for someone at the local master mechanic to do the service.