What compelled you to buy your first Ferrari?

since I was born my parents took me every year to Watkins Glen for the F-1 race. My dad also had sports cars in the garage... Porsche & Lotus... so I grew up with racing and cars around. At the Glen I loved the Matra's and Ferrari's the most... basically because of the noise. Since Matra did not really make any nice looking road cars, and Ferrari did I slowly gravitated to Ferrari. My God Parents used to go to Italy every year and bring me back model cars of Ferrari's - a Ferrari hat, or jacket... so I just got into Ferrari's... but it really hit about the time of Niki Lauda in 74... and then I made the connection between the Cars and Mr. Ferrari... it was like a small club run by the "old Man" ... the cars and the mystique of Mr. Ferrari and the race cars... that hooked me. the 308 was THE car, there were a couple around my home town from time to time ... they were just so sexy and exotic looking... my dad's lotus was too, but Lotus did not have the same aura ( and it broke down all the time) ... that Ferrari did to me. that was it - I was going to get a Ferrari as soon as I could... I set the goal to get one by the time I'm 25... did it just two weeks before my 26th birthday!

Been a Ferrari owner ever since December 3 1994.

 

Have always been a car guy. As many people have stated, I watched Magnum PI and loved the car. Was always a Ferrari fan from the standpoint that they just looked so much different than anything else on the road. When I was younger, I would purchase plastic models of Ferrari's and put them together but never thought I would ever be able to purchase one. Within the last year, I was talking with my wife and contemplating a new GT350R when my son mentioned that for the price of the GT350R I could buy a 360. I was skeptical until he showed me some of the cars for sale and the corresponding asking price (Keep in mind the GT350R sells for $20K-$30K over sticker). Well that started it (although I quickly went from 360 to a F430). After looking for a while I realized my dream and purchased my F430. It was very surreal driving it home. I have been blessed to be able to do this at this point in my life. Bad part is, I'm already contemplating a 458!

 

I made a promise to a 16 year old kid many years ago that one day he'll have a Ferrari.
I kept my promise.

 

Like a lot of others I grew up watching Miami vice and Magnum PI. I think the first Ferrari I actually saw in person was a TR when they had first come out. It was in a parking lot right along with all the other cars at a large event. I couldn't believe someone would park such a car like that. But I loved seeing it.

I've always been into cars. I got to the point in my life where I could buy a true "toy" car. I thought about a hot-rod of some sort. I was actually looking at quite a few Pantera's too. I stumbled on the car I eventually bought on Ebay. I threw a last minute bid in and I won.

The rest, as they say, is history.

 

Words you will like never hear spoken again...I bought a 246 because I didn't have the money to buy a 308.

 

LOL! Ain't that the truth. I'd never seen Magnum so knew nothing about that connection until people started making comments after I got the car. I actually hate people referring to my car as a magnum car...

 

My wife pushed me into it ............ she said "are you gong to be a 'gunna' all your life !!"

Always wanted one since I was old enough to read (about 22yo )

Had the money to buy a Dino in '82 but my dad talked me out of it (thanks dad )

 

Upon hearing the passing of Enzo Ferrari in the news, I walked in the local dealer and bought one.


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I have always been a Porsche guy (as well as someone that cannot help but take apart a modify every car I buy), and finally I said what's all the excitement about with these Ferrari's. My first was a F1 360 coupe Red (I figured your first should be red), and I was not a fan of the transmission at all (at that time I was a your going to have to pry my gear shifter out of my cold dead hand kind of guy), so my 2nd was a black 360 gearshift spider that I built. It was a beautiful car, but not really that quick (and modifying Ferrari's was not really what most owners did and the resale market for modified cars was not kind), and during a drive of Fchat folks I found I could not keep up with a 550 so I traded that for a 575. The 575 was a freight train plenty of low end power but it really was a GT car and was not in my mind that much fun to toss around. So I sold it and a few months later built my final Ferrari a 430 gearshift coupe, my favorite (and still the only one I'd ever own again) of the Ferrari's I owned. During that time I owned many other cars (including a Gallardo converted to RWD which I think was the first ever done) Porsche's(always had one of those), Maserati's BMW's Corvette's etc. All my other cars were modified (some to the point of the mods costing more than the car itself), which I came to understand was the reason I liked cars because I liked to see what I could turn them into. It has been a long time since I have owned a Ferrari, and I am not a fan of the newer designs or the paddles (not any brands form of them), and as beautiful as I thought the cars are (still do) the attention and the fact that I found the cars I owned not very much fun to drive unless they were being pushed hard made me realize that for me there were better choices. I consider myself very lucky to have had the chance to own and drive such amazing machines and hope all of you realize just how lucky you are as well. In the end my butt just feels better sitting behind something that I changed to make it fit my needs. I still have a Porsche (though the Porsche dealers call it a kit car) and my Dinan 650 coupe reminds me of my 575, my C7 Z51 gets more attention (at least 5 people have asked me if it is a new Ferrari model) than I like and is faster (and handles better) than any Ferrari I owned. I suppose my condition (I'm an Aspie) makes it impossible for me to see any car as anything other than a machine that I want to try and make a better machine. I was never able to feel what some of you talk about when you write about these cars. I will always be envious of that.

 

Have been into cars since a young boy. One of my very first memories is being on holiday in Venezuela (when it was still good) and I took a bunch of my cars with of course, and at the airport I bought a small model of an F40 and played with that on the side of the pool and on the beach the entire holiday.

My best friend since I was 4 and moved to Zandvoort (the place with the race track), his dad used to race there so I went with. He had a 993 Turbo at the time, and then the 550 Maranello came out and he ordered it. I was 7 when he got it and was stunned at how beautiful it was. Obviously I already had a decent Ferrari obsession before that, watching the Formula 1 on TV when they still had the V12, and at the track they raced Ferrari's at times, even 250 GT SWB's and F40s.

The 550 left a long standing impression on me and has been a goal to acquire for a long time. Obviously some unplanned **** went along, I had some ambitious plans when I left school which where ruined by the global crisis and a couple of scoops of family **** along with it.

Things started to look good again, sold a business, which left me enough money to buy at the low to medium end of the 550 market. 2 years ago. Blessing in disguise I guess, as deep in my heart I know that the money is better used on my new business.

Things are moving forward, and if the market stays as it is I'll finally be able to start my search for a decent 550 Maranello by the end of the year.

 

That exactly, along with the smell of the leather, the sound of the engine, the directness of the steering and the firmness of the pedals. I have had the great fortune to drive literally hundreds, if not more, great sporting and race cars, but there is nothing more evocative than Ferrari. Other marques come close at times, and in some cases best Ferrari (the Stratos, for example), but there is (or was) something about the machines from Maranello that has never been equalled.

 

Having reached what I consider the pinnacle, I wanted to reward myself for a job well done. So that's just what I did.

 

Because it's beautiful. I have always loved the cars. It's like having an incredible piece of artwork in your garage that you can get inside. Just looking at my car makes me smile.

For the record, I have never, ever bought anything because of what other people might think and no one ever should. They should spend the money on therapy if that's part of their reasoning.