Montezemolo: This is the end of an era
There has been an on going fight between LDM and the head of Fiat. LDM is being blamed for the lack of recent success in F1. Also, LDM wanted to keep Ferrari production limited to about 7k cars/year. Fiat wants to increase production to meet demand. If you think Ferraris are mass produced now, wait and see what happens next. I hope common sense prevails but I'm afraid it is going to go the way of maximizing profits for Fiat shareholders.
I have a friend that was considering ordering a 458 Italia and he lives in the south. The dealer said they have no more slots for 2015 so I contacted Algar on his behalf and they only have 2 for 2015, both sold and they have more orders they can fill if allotted more cars Seems crazy but on the other hand it helps keep the brand in demand. As a business owner, it is interesting to see a company walk away for $300K orders especially when at this point all the development has been paid for and more units would equal higher percentage of profit for the remaining units.
It is what makes the brand unique and exotic in that you cant buy them off the floor. They have the upscale, buy off the floor market covered with Maserati so I doubt they will change the MO of the brand. It is actually a clever sales strategy in that it provides a means for those who cant get into a new Ferrari to be "in the brand" now and maybe become Ferrari customers as time goes on.
I hope it means good news for the Ferrari enthusiasts. Maybe now Ferrari focus in winning races and no in selling t-shirts and caps. And as Ernie said, Ferrari returns to Le Mans. That would be awesome. About our 348s, it will be nice to see what happens when people realize that the 348 is from the Enzo era. The first of the 3 different time history / philosofy of the brand. I think it could drive the price higher quicker than expected.
Extensive discussions and information on this topic here. http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/f1/460091-major-ferrari-rumors.html
+1 ernie and Moiluck. I hope our 348's do go up faster. Le Mans would be awesome. I am worried about an IPO. They need to be careful so it doesn't go the Jaguar, Bentley, Bugatti route. Seeing it disappear and reappear like an old sock. Funny thing is, Bentley is back in racing seriously now with Dyson and the last Le Mans outing (-Lola! before it folded ??) What is going on these days?!
Not looking forward to more F-car production increases except the value of my current car will be going up... I do like the 458 Speciale in white... Robb
I think the pressure to crank up production will ultimately be too great and Macchione will do precisely that, especially with LDM no longer around to push back against those forces. Porsche, Maserati, Lambo, Bentley...they've all succumbed to market pressure to increase production and meet demand. As we all know, this is somewhat of a short term strategy because, over time, the high production kills resale and exclusivity. If this comes to pass, then cynically I think it's positive for our 348s/355s and other Ferraris produced during the years of "reasonable" production and when Ferrari was still a boutique, somewhat handbuilt automaker. For a good analog, look what's happened to all the pre-99 air-cooled 911s. Holy Stromboli! ketel
I assume there is a Ferrari SUV in the works then? We should have a naming contest. I propose: Ferrari Puttana
I have a good friend who is the manager of a Porsche store and the sales pressure from VW is over the top. They will have them sell every unit they can and back it up with production. Stop at any Porsche store and see how many cars they have available in stock, plenty. They maintain the "exclusivity" by producing small runs of special models like the GT-3.
Lol, then he'll restyle it a little, change some things that will cause headaches for owners and say " there i fixed that awful car" " serenity now "
Ferrari is bigger than both men. People wrote about Ferrai's demise when Enzo died. I was there, a Ferrari owner, and you can substitute LDM's name for Enzo and the banter then would be the same as today. All is not lost. Praise LDM for what he has done for Ferrari. I'm sure the new guy will do fine and I still will be owning Ferraris from each era.
Yes dave , and i'll be at the Driven by purpose event in Nj. Hope youre there ...... " serenity now "
