How did you get into Ferraris?

I was 7 when Jody Scheckter won the championship in 1979. I was hooked ever since...
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Birthday, Christmas, and my older sister gave 4-5 yo me a little grey book, about the size of a thick deck of cards, b+w pics called "Cars of the World", alphabetical, published in the UK.

I was stunned by something called a "Scaglietti Bodied 250GTO Competition Berlinetta".

Still am.

 

We are about the same age and similar stories. Acquired my 575M IN 2004 and still have it. Starting to look for a 458 spider but it will have to wait until the wife's 812 Superfast's worth of home remodel is done. :>) Here is a photo of the "old girl" (not the wife) Image Unavailable, Please Login

at a multi-day, 1100 mile, rally a few months ago.

 

About 20 years ago, I decided to quit motorcycles. Ferraris seemed to be the best replacement.

 

In the early 80's I was teaching public school, married with two kids and a mortgage. Ferrari ownership was a a dream. As I drove to school every day I listened to an FM station, WZLX with two disc jockeys, Lauren and Wally, who had a contest with big prizes. The prizes were printed on a color insert in the Boston Globe with a specific contest number. There were all kinds of things you could win, but a Ferrari 308 was my number one choice. So as I was driving, I would check my number week after week and guess what...I never won!

Fast forward 30 years and I still thought the Ferrari 308 was one of the prettiest cars ever built. My kids grew up, my house was paid for and I retired from teaching and finally had some disposable income. I figured an Italian boy needs an Italian car, so ten years ago, I bought a 1978 308 GTS, red with tan interior...just like the contest picture. Dreams do come true!

 

Thanks for sharing this. I'm actually finishing Go Like Hell in the next few days, I'll pick up Don't Wash Mine next. I love these car stories.

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Grew up lower middle class with parents living paycheck to paycheck. Had a school fundraising drive where they sold posters so got a F40 poster when I was 9 years old. Became a die hard car guy by 10 remembering all the stats of exotic cars but F40 was ultimate goal as my poster car. After 30 years of wanting a Fcar finally in the process of buying a Scud! Still not a F40 but completely happy with the Scud. Now need to work for another 30 years to hit the original F40 goal from when I was 9!

Mike

 

I found "Don't Wash Mine" enthralling.
Ah, the good ol days...

 

What? Nobody mentions Magnum P.I. as the reason they got into Ferrari?

As a teenager, I would come home from school and glued myself to the TV with Magnum P.I. runs and re-runs. The opening scene of a 308 sliding away from stop is classic. When I relocated to the Bay Area, I would spend many weekend looking at all the red Ferraris at Los Gatos Ferrari. Once I was walking down a street in Los Gatos, I passed by a dark color F355 that stopped me dead in my track. I promised to myself: "one day!"

That one day came 20 years ago, and then it came four times more.

 

Charity Auction.

Las Vegas Catholic Church.

No joke.

 

Well, how do you explain the 456 AND the Maserati?

 

456=Wanted to get another ugly car
Maser=do my part to help the economy.

 

Three moments of weakness .... excuses and excuses ....

 

hahahaha

 

wow, I figure there would be more 80s kids. Tom Selleck and Don Johnson were pretty cool. Ditto Nicholas Cage chasing the Hummer in the yellow 355.

 

I purchased a 98 355 Spider last March after seeing one on BAT which I thought was the most beautiful car I had ever seen. I am 79 and this is my first Ferrari, never too old to start.

 

Don't and haven't owned one … yet ….

Saw my first Ferrari on "Magnum P.I." - I was born in '73, so I was still pretty young. Then I saw the black Daytona and white Testarossa in "Miami Vice" … Somewhere in between saw the "Cannonball Run" … I'm hooked.

I've had a couple of fun cars and am currently shopping. No Ferrari on this round, but it's on my bucket list.

MDS

 

My father was always into cars, we used to go to all the car lots when the new cars came out. Fell in Love with the 308 on Magnum PI. Bought a poster that read Decisions--Decisions showing a bottle of Wine, a Naked Woman, and a Ferrari.
I started saving at the age of 16 and put back money every chance I got. It took me 40 years but I finally got the Ferrari, a 2009 430 Scuderia!

 

I was about 5 years old when the movie Family Vacation came out the part of the movie when Christey Brinkley drove by the family truster in the red 308 I thought to myself I want both of those when I'm older...........

 

The earliest intrigue I recall was in1987 when I worked as a case assistant at a IP law firm in Palo Alto, California. One of the firm's partners purchased a beautiful red Testarossa as a daily driver! My office colleague and I would gaze in awe each morning as he pulled the car into the parking lot. That started it for me.

 

HEY! I know Dick, drove SAAB Quantum in open wheel racing for a while. Actually found him and spoke o hi some years back.

 

When I was a kid I lived in France for a couple years. We traveled all over. I recall looking at a line of cars ( mid 70s) at the Monte Carlo casino and being transfixed. I was given a book ( still have it) “Ferrari - the legend” that I pretty much memorized. Been looking at them since. Had some real Ferrari head friends in SF area.. just couldn’t afford and in boston a little different proposition.

more recently my father had a stroke and an Uber driver and I were discussing age/ life. See the video... I bought a car right after the ride and just traded for my first Ferrari. Life is short...

video is apparently too big which is too bad.

The older somewhat philosophical Uber driver says “ now Sir is the time - “ if you want a Ferrari or a big house or something buy it now because if you wait it will never happen...”...

 

Just a car guy, mainly SAABs, then Bugeye Sprite, then Jag E-Type, then a friend, Bob Sinclair asked me if I knew the 3 greatest words to a car guy, "That's MY Ferrari" I kept my options open and stumbled into a great deal right when I had some cash, it helped that several of the Jag list guys also have F cars.

 

My dad used to pick me up at the Greyhound bus station when I would come to visit him when I was a kid. He always had sports cars, and eventually got some Ferraris. I was an avid reader of Road and Track and Motor Trend and got tons of info from those sources. Riding in the cars was the real hook though. This was in the late 1970's.

 

Well, how did you do, just one or both? ;-)