I am looking at purchasing an f430 spider, it has everything I am looking for and more. Problem is it only has 1 key, my research has shown that you should never buy a Ferrari with only 1 key. They say it tells you how well the car was taken care of. this particular car has 8,800 miles and 4 owners, model year 2007. From pics and video it looks in excellent shape. feedback is appreciated.
FWIW I would be a bit "turned off" by only having one key - not only due to (as you stated) a potential reflection of how the car was taken care of but the simply risk that someone out there has a key to your car. That said, that applies with single or maybe two-owner cars but with the car changing hands 4 times it might be a bit unrealistic to expect both keys. If the car checks all the right boxes emotionally and financially and has a clean carfax and passes a PPI then the key issue would not necessarily be a show-stopper. BUT I would demand/include a 2nd key as part of the deal (like anything else I imagine a "spare" 430 key is not cheap or necessarily quick to obtain - others can chime in) - so at least you have a spare key for obvious reasons. Lastly, if the car you are looking at is an F1 430 Spider there are a lot out there so you can afford to be picky and might be worth additional searching if the key issue bothers you and (obviously) if there are other issues. One thing I would definitely check on a 430 Spider is if it has been used as a rental or a "buy by the lap" car. Again, not necessarily a show-stopper but you should know up front and that would be a negotiation point. Some of those cars were meticulously maintained and others were trashed by the renters and considered commodities by the renters so probably not a good choice. Hope this helps - Good luck with the search and eventual purchase - Cheers
One key is an "indicator" of how the car was taken care of? What will people come up with next in the growing minutia of things to be picky about?
I think the point is (and the market shows) a car (especially a Ferrari or any exotic) with "all keys, manuals, build sheet, window sticker" etc. does reflect the previous owner's attitude toward the car and is a possible indicator of how it was maintained and cared for. In general an owner who keeps all records in an organized manner, has all the keys and key codes, various manuals and literature etc. etc. most likely was just as meticulous with maintenance and addressing any issues quickly. Versus an owner who "loses" the spare key or does not include it with the trade/sale of the car, does not keep the records, does not keep all the manuals etc. potentially has the same "ah it's just a car" attitude with regard to maintenance, care etc. Heck I have both keys, maintenance records, manuals and window sticker for my 2015 Jetta - Guess I am a bit OCD Cheers
I think some owners keep a key as some sort of trophy. Not me but when I bought my 488 it only had one key and was a low mileage specimen of perfection. I easily negotiated an extra key. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
No you're right. He's selling an expensive car for Gods sake. How hard is it to get another key? Not to mention hes stupid for only having one./
I have 3 keys for each of my cars, does that make me a diligent owner...not! I get keeping invoices, records, manuals and how that reflects on a car and its owner, I really do. All my cars have a binders of all/any info I have/can find in its history beit under my ownership or via previous owners. I guess this thread just struck me funny that somehow an 8K mile car is somehow "questionable" because it only has one key. Admittedly I will never live in this world but if one can drop $250K on a (pure pleasure) car then maybe a missing key is a deal breaker . Its all a matter of perspective
About 4 years ago I got very close to buying an F430 6-speed. Beautiful car, 2008, with under 7k miles. I ended up passing on it and one of the reasons was that it only had one key. That same car today is worth $150-200k MORE than I could have bought it for. A key only costs $1k. If everything else checks out, don’t let the lack of a key stop you.
When I bought my 2009 F430, it only came with one key. It was in near perfect condition. The previous owner only had one key, I was told that was how he got it. My guess is that the previous dealer he bought the car from "lost the key" and he never bothered replacing it. The car was meticulously maintained and had everything else (car cover, seat/wheel covers, all manuals/paperwork/service records and OEM charger, ...) except the MagLite. I now have two keys and didn't mind getting a new one and having the alarm sync redone for both my keys so that if there was a 3rd key floating around, it's useless. I also got a replacement MagLite. I should add in the almost 2 years I have owned my F430, I have only ever used one key and the other key is put away for the next owner or an emergency. Unlike a Honda key, I'm pretty sure a Ferrari key is a collectible item, as is the MagLite, so the original owner may have "lost" them when he sold the car to the dealership that sold it to the previous owner to me.
The fact that this is even a topic of discussion with mixed opinion and emotion indicates that a second key IS a big deal in the world of Ferrari. In general for all car buying? No. But for a Ferrari or vehicle of similar provenance, it matters. The seller should just pay to get a second key. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I don't think you can read into that at all. I mean just ask him. I mean he literally might have misplaced it in his attic, or his dog ate it. Who knows. If it had 4 owners, maybe he never even got it. If it bugs you that much, just have him buy another key. It should never be a deal-breaker in my opinion.
I will never buy a car with one key just like I'll never buy an F12tdf without the model and an F50 without size 11 shoes!
The one key being a sign of bad ownership is a ridiculous point to me. I'd be much more concerned if there was a very off brand set of tires on the car as an indicator. For all of those that think it's an issue... If it is an indicator of provenance to you... Is it REALLY provenance if you can simply order another one?
I would not be turned off by one key. Things happen. Things get lost. I had a ‘16 GT3 and lost a key. I’m a pretty diligent owner. Quite honestly I have no clue what happened to it…. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
To me one key screams two things. 1) repo 2) the current seller is too cheap to make it correct before selling. Would I buy a car with one key, sure. But I would look extra closely. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Exactly, I couldn't agree more. Who's "they"? It's unfair to the current owner (or even previous owners), how do you know which one of them lost the other keys? What if the current owner, who was only given one key when he acquired this vehicle, took outstanding care of it? You should base your judgement on the care of a car by its condition, the service records, and maybe even what shop(s) were used for maintenance. Period.
All this discussion over a key. Very simple, the car ticks all the boxes buy it and get a second key the cost is a fraction of the purchase price. Then drive and enjoy as opposed to reverse out of garage, go to cars and coffee once a month, return home, wash, dry, drive into garage put cover on and look and say to yourself I own a Ferrari. Go for a long spirited drive THEN you will know what owning a Ferrari means.
Dealbreaker? No But certainly a negotiating point Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
A claim made by no one ever. Try an apple/apple comparison next time. A square is always a rectangle but a rectangle is not always a square.
Far more importantly an indicator. I inspect cars regularly. I simply do not have xray eyes nor can I see the past. Most of my recommendation is based on indicators. Missing keys and fobs, missing books, missing records, missing tools. Are just a few. If I check every one of those boxes and see nothing else my assumption will be based on a lot of years of experience there is a whole lot more we cannot see and my client is looking for a different car. I blew up a GTO deal for similar. Told the client there were far too many indications of a lack of care of and for the car. It had been treated far too casually.
Assumed that previous owners especially original owners liked to keep one key and the model (if received) as a memento and tell the dealer or new owner lost in a boating accident.