What’s the Sweet spot for # of Ferrari’s or Exotics??

I don't really like the word exotic, but right now I have 11 cars (with 3 more coming soon). When I was younger a more capable of doing almost all my own work, I had as many as 21 at a time. Since I have the same amount of interest in redesigning cars as I have in driving them, some of the need to buy more has dissipated as I have gotten older and less able to do everything myself. I don't think there is a right number as some have said it does get hard when you have a lot of cars, so buy one, then two, then see how much you can handle.

 

Currently have 5 "fun" cars, down from 6 a few months ago. 3 of these I own jointly with a friend. I don't call them "collector" cars because I want to buy them for fun and kinetic enjoyment, not to collect and sit stationary in a garage.

Anyway, along with my car-partner buddy who has several cars himself I/we rent a nice 2500 s.f. garage space in an industrial area, which is enough for about 9-10 cars to fit comfortably w/out having to move cars around. It's turned out to be a perfect arrangement for both of us, and as we split the monthly rent it's relatively affordable.

I do spend a lot of time maintaining my/our cars. And realize that driving is a big part of maintaining them. As we all know cars deteriorate just sitting there, especially exotics, so you might as well drive them and enjoy the experience. My goal is to drive each car at least every 3 weeks during the driving season (they are stored/not driven for about 5 months during the winter season here), but given my schedule and the juggling of priorities of everyday life, work, family, etc. that doesn't always happen. Bottom line, maintaining this many cars for me is very time consuming. This is not a complaint, simply a matter of fact.

So, I've started to thin the herd a bit and sold a car last month. I may sell another one early next year, dunno yet. As I age I can see myself keeping maybe three cars... a modern-era Ferrari, something German like an air cooled 911, and something American -- probably modern muscle, so C8 Vette, GT350, something along those lines. We'll see but I'm pretty sure I would be perfectly happy with fewer cars that I can spend more time driving vs. cleaning and fixing.

 

I feel it really depends on how much spare time you have for them. I have three and at least two of them suffer from battery and fresh gasoline neglect and tire dry rot just sitting there while the insurance meter keeps ticking.

 

under 10 is easy, 10 to 20 is doable with effort and little help, 20+ is exhausting and dizzying

at 10 it gets tough to drive them all...at 20 its tough to drive them once a year...you actually stop trying to drive them cuz its easier to put all ur miles on a few of them...

 

Doesn't that correlate a bit to access though?

I feel like if I owned 20 cars, but they were all parked singularly, no lifts, easy access, you could rotate them a bit easier?

Most drivable I owned at the same time was 5, and they were parked like 20 minutes away, and that was a PITA.

 

not for me... its more keeping track of the service and knowing where all the cars are. my garage is a beautiful 7 mile ride pretty central to where i spend my time and if i go there 7 times a year its alot

also fwiw even if i had space for 30 cars i wldnt want them all one one spot at my main residence. too much safety risk with where my kids live...there is an extraordinary amount of pick up and drop off cars...over the years i have become close with most of the people (who all rock!) who touch my cars but wld never want all that traffic at my house....and if there was a fire....

 

Just start weaning yourself down, starting.......... tomorrow.

 

For those of you that don't have 4 season weather I imagine it is easier, I have winter and summer cars.

 

Yeh thats another thing - living around nyc we only have about 5 weather and pothole permitting months to drive nice cars without constantly cringing and swerving.


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That is why I put up with living in California. All year driving

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Forgot to mention all the smog checks... Another part I dislike.

 

4-5 cars would be the sweet spot for someone like me who lives in the city (SF).
1 to have fun with on the backroads of wine country and reminisce the glory years of F1 (na)
1 as a track weapon to attack the apexes and also passes our stringent sound restrictions (forced induction)
1 to get groceries or haul the pooch to the beach in practical style (suv)
1 to luxuriously put around the city in when hosting guest from out of town (4-door land yacht)
and 1 extra one that is just too beautiful to drive regularly and serves more as inanimate art that brightens anyone's day just by looking at it and reminds me of a remarkable point in automotive history (vintage)

 

Not at all! Isn't that part of the fun of a exotic car garage? These cars are meant to be special and never becomes routine. The 10 minutes spent debating which one to take will always precede a memorable outing.

 

At this point, this guy needs to thin the flock or he'll become a horder!

 

That's the tip of the iceberg.. I know a fellow who has trailers and out buildings filled with Ferrari and lamborghini parts, throw in the Detomaso and Maserati stuff as icing. Never mind the 100+corvettes in various states of disrepair..

I spoke to him a couple weeks ago, he is trying to unload it all. He wants me to inventory it all. It's almost an impossible task at this point..its a mess. Stuff uptown, down town and in between. It would be a full time job for at least a year or 2. Nice guy tho..but definatly has a hoarding issue..

 

That's insanity! Makings of an episode of either Chasing Classic Cars or Horders!

 

6 cars, 6 bikes.....each one is special to me.
Gotta drive/ride them all or what's the point?
Get as any as make you happy and that you can get to enjoy!

 

I think access is a big part of having fun with a car collection. Moving cars around just so you can drive the one you want to drive today is a pain, and sometimes it makes you just take the one at the back, instead of the one you really want to take. In my daydreams I'm designing a home with multiple single bays... I just can't figure out how to make it look not like a storage unit.

If a car gets to be where you're driving it because "it needs to be driven" rather than "I want to drive it" then maybe you should sell that one.

 

What was the car your friend bought as a holy grail?

 

Incredible car for sure!

 

I would guess its all a case of garage space, out of mine if i had to keep one car only, the porsche Cayenne diesel does everything, 2 then its the Superamerica, and the Cayenne, 3 then the 512TR joins, 4 The TVR Tuscan, 5 the Ferrari California, 6 the Porsche Boxter S, 7 the fiat 500 runabouut, and 8 its the QPOD sport, just for a laugh....So i will be having to move soon and some will go, just depends upon the garage space in the new house..

 

I hate you guys with a big garage. In SoCal lucky I get a spot LOL
2-3 fun cars is my safe spot. 2 running the 3rd a project build

 

Local car: Ferrari with convertible top. Noisy and sporty!
Long Distance car: Aston Martin Coupe. Quieter, with cruise control and luggage space.
Third car? When I find it and get a 4 post lift.

 

We have three cars now, two of which are daily drivers and another my wife's precious SLK320 with a stick. I'm adding a gated 360 Spider and I want one more. Another 360 Spider (F1) to be my sacrificial lamb. I'll experiment on that car and use it as a live source of spares. If something breaks on my nice 360, I can steal the part off the sacrificial lamb and have the old one replaced or rebuilt at my convenience. That's the plan anyway. All I need to do is find a sub $40k 360 Spider that runs and drives. I don't care about miles, Carfax, number of owners, title damage or color.

When my daughter gets old enough to drive to school, she can drive the parts Ferrari.