5.3% increased production- is Ferrari becoming a common car?

OMG I had to use my alarm the last week at the Grocery store. I wasn't sure which red 360 was mine in the parking lot. Like 30 of them back to back...

Really?

There are two Million more people in the US this year than last. Which is about 5479 new americans (born or immigrated) each DAY in this country. How on earth will an extra thousand or two tousand cars at best make them too common? Granted some peeps on this board in S. Florida or LA actually think they're "common" cars... I had a 25 year old patient last week tell me he's seen two(2) in his life. Before I bought mine I saw less than ten. FYI looks like since 2005 until 2013 215,000(!) C6 Corvettes were made.

Won't matter at all in the grand scheme of things.

 

I think your reaction is a tad exagerated... Berg simply said "more common", although the thread title could be better.

While 5.3% is not enough to really matter in the grand scheme of things, certain markets are affected more than others. Dallas is a large market, and in my opinion Ferrari's are more common here than in the past. As far as a noticeable change in the past year, barely. I have seen more but not enough to claim a correlation, 5.3% sounds reasonable tho.

 

Common? Well if so it’s not from increased production but from legacy cars sold since the 90’s.

It’s the cumulative effect of selling 3000 cars a year in the US for 25 years.

 

good point. Most Ferrari's I see are not brand new. Also, delivery timeline delays the effects of production changes.

 

Look at it this way. Let’s say all 5% came to the US — which is debatable. That’s 5% of 3200 cars — 150 cars

It’s nothing in a market the size of the US. It’s like 3 more cars per state.

 

Maybe not "common", but around where I live (plano, tx) I see Ferraris frequently - at least 2 per week. At cars and coffee - 15+ usually show up.

I also am seeing an increase in Lambos. At least 1 per week.

On the other hand, I've only see a Yugo once in the last 5 years.

Sid

 

I never saw a single Ferrari in San Antonio from 1972-1980, or Boston from 1980-1984, or NYC from 1984-1988. A couple weeks back I heard - obnoxiously loud - a 430 run by while I was in the drive-through lane at McD's. I see them all the time now, but I believe that's as the Mayor said, because of all the legacy cars around. Plus, the cars from about 1995 on are much easier to live with than the older ones, so they get driven more, I suspect.

 

A Ferrari goes through the new phase, then the new used phase, then the it's priced so people can stretch for it phase, then when parts get scare the worthless phase, until the parts are so expensive you junk it versus repair it phase, after which it enters the collectable phase. Since the cars aren't driven in the first and last phase because they're expensive... the real question to me is does the number getting into accidents exceed the new production or keep up with it? Given so few of the pre-1976 cars are even driven, these are off the road. So is the American Ferrari fleet expanding in general slowly or is it maintaining its size versus attrition via repair expense or accident.

I agree with G. Pepper, they run so you CAN drive them more and live with them. Knowing people with them and when they roll also helps them being seen IMHO.

 

The 308 made Ferrari's "common", not the 458.

The 308 was designed to be a daily driver car with better creature comfort and lower maintenance than a Dino. It was much more refined than the Dino Gt and built in larger numbers. And, no 246 Dino's came with Ferrari badges (at least in the US). They were Dinos, not Ferrari's. The Dino Ferrari 308 GT4 changed that forever.

When the 308 appeared on Magnum, Ferrari no longer became "rare". Everyone knew what it was so even if you didn't see one, you knew what it looked like.

 

I laughed out loud at this thread. This is the definition of out of touch.

The thread title doesnt say 'more common' so no, Ferrari will never, ever be common. Even Porsches are not common. Maybe where us rich-out-of-touch folk live they are common. But in 99.9% of the world, no...Porsches are not common so Ferrari are most definitely not common.

Maybe volunteer at a soup kitchen or something...

 

When I was stationed in CA, I saw them quite frequently, esp along PCH, in La Jolla, OC, or around LA.
However, over the course of two years in San Diego (where we have a dealership), I only encountered another 360 once. We were both so surprised at the coincidence we pulled over to say hello.

Now stationed in DC (also where there’s a dealership), I rarely see another outside of a C&C.
The “common” exotic car here is Maserati, esp along embassy row.

 

I've often said, I was into Ferraris before Magnum PI. First Italian car was a chrome yellow '74 FIAT X1/9. The Dino was my dream car, as they were relatively cheap. Then the Boxer came out, and I had a poster of a yellow over black one on the wall of my bedroom when I was a senior in high school. The 308 did indeed take Ferrari mainstream as a super premium brand of sports cars.

 

I agree the 308 help put Ferrari on the map. But, so did the Testarossa. The TR got plenty of exposure on Miami Vice and actually outsold the 328. In fact, I'm certain that is the only time a V12 outsold its companion V8 model. They sold nearly 10,000 (!) models of TR, 512TR, and 512M; 512M is very rare.

I live in Charlotte, NC. I see 308s, Boxers & TRs all the time at C&C and other car-related events. In the wild, I see 458 mostly. I have a 612 and have never seen another in the wild. Heck, even Dinos and F40s are more common than my 612, which is a pretty recent model that loves to be driven.

Whilst it is true we are seeing more Ferraris being sold, there are many older / rare models condemned to "collections" as interest cars unfortunately that will not be seen on the road again as long as they are coveted.

 

Thank you for that. I'm not the only one who sees the absurdity...

Sometimes I feel so guilty at NOT being able to volunteer for the soup kitchen because ______ just popped up, I have my personal chef make the homeless and disenchanted some pan roasted trout with herb encrusted potatoes and have the Uber driver deliver it cause' #humanity.

 

we have been watching the development of the SCG here... what a great replacement for the exclusivity that Ferrari loses as production is increased... if everyone on this list ordered one, Jim G's order book would take years to catch up .... how many can say they watched the car develop into reality, then bought one

 

I see more of them now in person than 20-25 years ago mainly because of more cars and coffee style events making them more accessible to the general public. Social media makes that effect even larger so finding photos and videos the rarest cars is not longer uncommon.

 

Really impressive effort for a guy to undertake, only thing I'd like to see it a little prettier from the front personally.

 

It was a flat twelve.

 

Well, it depends on how well you draw a "V".

And I don't think the TR outsold the 308 / 328.

 

When I was a kid and even into my 20's, I never saw Ferraris. Seeing one on the road was a special day. Now, at least in AZ, they are not a rare sight. Every valet stand has several. I never see another when I am at the track..... I am generally the only Ferrari.

 

hmmmm....when i went to elementary school in the early 70s we were told we are roughly 3,5 billion people on this planet...now we are 7,5 billion...and i am only 52..(and still alive)....dont know the Ferrari production numbers in the 70s....but producing 5 % more cars wont damage the brand at all i think...there are more and more milionares each year...there are a lot more competitors in this segment who are willing to produce higher numbers...so Ferrari can afford to produce a few more cars but they cant fall behind the competition..so you cant blame them i guess..

 

I meant Flat12. I was multi-tasking at the time and apologize for the obvious mistake. However, I pretty certain of the 10,000 TRs. I do not believe they made that many 328s - does anyone know the exact numbers?

 

Not sure of all of the specific numbers but I can say, in addition to what everyone else shared, that I have also noticed more Ferrari's over the past year. Granted, not scientific at all. When I was a child, I saw maybe one Ferrari that I can remember in my first 18 years of life. Now I see a handful or more a year. Definitely still a rarity but does seem to be becoming less rare.