Ferrari trying to take over ferrari club

So basically, the 308, 328, Mondial, 400 - 412, Testarossa, 348 & even 355 owners are kinda out of luck buy the above condition simply because most of those cars are not sold by a Factory Authorized dealer. Some are - I understand but my guess would be 85% are not. 360' s 456's and 599's are getting there as well.

There really seems to be a lack of pride in the early cars of the 80's from Ferrari Spa and FNA... as prices for early 308's have gone up there is some more recognition but to me ( and I have been following Ferrari since 1970 and an owner since 95... that is what it seems to me. The Dealers on the other hand can be all over the place - Our Dealer here in Atlanta is very good and welcoming of all owners. They also get that not all owners can afford FNA rates, etc... but in the end welcome everyone. to me that is what it should be. in my opinion from 1947 to 1997 Ferrari really did not care much about the dealer network - they were more interested in who moved cars, and who bought parts etc. There was no mandate for a Dealer to have a look - or to have a Brand image. I'm not saying it was wrong or right but the current force which is used by Ferrari Spa or FNA to force compliance is a bit over the top. this is my view - no idea if it's shared by others, but the need to control every aspect of the market - and then once getting control to let it die is truly staggering. I've been a member of every Ferrari Authorized club - all the websites etc... and without exception, each has died with no explanation. If Ferrari were to really care they would have a business retention specialist to focus on the following:
National Ferrari dealer networks
High net worth owners buyers - Clienti and Challenge participants
National Club networks
Independent shops, parts and restorers.

The goal should be to have the best customer experience possible up and down the line of Ferrari cars. Make the world of Ferrari a special place by keeping everyone in the family so to speak and fostering like experiences. In that way, you not only keep owners from moving away - you increase the loyalty and spending of each owner. The Billionaires are going to do what they like - because they can. its the 50-year-old dentist that worked all his life to get a 360 to love - and has to care for it - that is soured when faced with a $40K invoice for services or parts at the dealer network... What Porsche does very well - they support ALL their cars - no matter year, or type of vehicle - Tractor to race car, you can find parts - reasonably priced - and support to install them outside dealers.. some dealers are made the classic workshops other are not... it all works well. Finally, if Ferrari REALLY cared - they would change the sticky parts from happening in new models.

 

One has to wonder about the sticky button thing at times. Kinda like a runway model with a wart on her perfect nose but she WILL NOT have it removed. Only she will ever know why.

 

Thank you for your reply, I see and understand your position.

FWIW, when you stated :

If Ferrari were to really care they would have a business retention specialist to focus on the following:
National Ferrari dealer networks - They do, they are called ABM ( Area Brand Managers )
High net worth owners buyers - Clienti and Challenge participants ( They do, they're called Motorsports Managers )
National Club networks They do, ( His name is Kevin H. , he attends many events, and was at both this years National Experience at Sebring and Cavallino 31 )
Independent shops, parts and restorers. Meh, I cant see them ever really wanting the competition, but they absolutely do require individual Dealerships to have a level of wholesale sales ( parts ) each year, so there is that.
Ferrari wants the Dealership network to capture that business for obvious reasons ( the money ) which is why they have attempted to create different profit centers to cater to that demographic ( Classiche, Ferrari Premium Program, New Power Warranty, New Power 15, substantial discounts on many older parts & improved replacement warranty terms when installed in house, and more. The thing is, on Ferrari Chat and in many circles, Ferrari is ridiculed and lambasted for trying to make money ( which they are ) rather than appreciating the attempt ( for better or worse ) to keep those same Ferrari you outline within the Dealership network.

I cannot agree more, the best possible client / owner experience should be goal #1 , having open conversations like this thread is a start, IMO. Both sides have to hear and understand each other, in order for us to get to that final goal, that I feel we are both talking about.

Regarding costs, again I can only speak to the area I work within, but many times the perception is that we are " so much more expensive " than the independent specialist. More often than not, we are competitive. Apples to Apples, we come close, sometimes we are lower. When we are higher, there is a reason, that when compared side by side, becomes obvious. Example is that as " The Dealer " we are required to stand behind our work more so than smaller shops. We have target on our back from the get go... so , when we see XYZ part(s) that should be replaced with a repair, we provide that estimate to the client. Making the repair more expensive. Its our job to advise owners of our findings. Owners don't have to approve the work, but they will leave aware of it and the associated cost. This is a KYA situation as well as the right thing to do. NOW, and Independent Specialist, can take a look at our estimate and do one of several things 1. Undercut our pricing to get the job ( creating the perception that their shop is less expensive than the stealership ) 2. Offer an alternate repair that circumvents the failure in another fashion ( Creating a hole in the wiring harness so the oil can drip out and not collect vs addressing the oil leak itself ) 3. Defer a portion of the repair to a later date ( again making it seem like a repair was not needed or making the repair cost seem lower as the additional work is not being performed ) IF or When something goes wrong , the owner has taken the burden of responsibility off the independent specialist, and hopefully would not go after them.

The good news is that in DFW we work with our independent specialists and speak weekly if not more, comparing repairs, costs, options, and what is better for the client. THIS benefits the owner and we all get along. There are some repairs James and his team at Norwood can perform better and quicker than we can, at the same time they bring us cars at times to address what we do better and quicker. Everyone wins. Oh, and we do not disparage each other, THAT is HUGE, going a long way IMO.

Regarding soft touch, we all know this is not a " Ferrari thing " right? It's a soft touch thing. Ferrari appears to have addressed that with the newer models, with touch screen this and touch pad that... again, some purest are now upset that the technology is being implementing.... replacing the analog feel of Ferrari of yesterday.. Thankfully we all have Sticky No More and other excellent sublet vendors to address it. ;-)


Steve

 

There is no excuse for this sticky crap on high-end cars. Simply put, quality control begins in design. If you don't design the quality in, it will never happen. Do I need to bring up exhaust manifolds?

 

It has zero to do with high end vs low end , Ferrari or Audi, its the same process, many times the exact same vendor that creates the switches for each manufacture. Just because it's going into a Ferrari does not change the way the company creates its switches, the process is what it is.

Ferrari does not make the switches, nor the manifolds, that are both made by outside vendors.

So, Texas Forever soft touch switch company needs to be the scapegoat not Ferrari.


NOW


Can one complain that Ferrari ( and Audi, and BMW, And Mercedes, and Porsche, and ... ) all chose to use that vendor, sure.
When Ferrari created the relationship with said soft touch vendor I am sure they didn't discuss oh, these switches will get sticky in 3 years, so sorry, deal with it, I am pretty sure that vendor assured Ferrari it was a great product. Then they assured them again, they fixed it, when they obviously didn't. But the soft touch switches are already installed on thousands of cars... and they are being replaced under warranty on 75% of those. The "smart shops" refinish them vs replace them, under factory warranty ( sublet claim ) and its never an issue again. This goes for ALL makes, not just Ferrari.

While you are at it, soft touch, headers, head gaskets on TTV8 cars, heck throw in brake fluid res caps while you are at it. all products ON a Ferrari, not manufactured BY Ferrari.


But you are correct, Ferrari's name is on the car, they are ultimately responsible to the owner ( and shareholders )

Steve

;-)

 

The real problem is Ferrari doesn't do any testing. It builds and ships em and lets the customer become quality control. What's worse, is many Ferrari customers don't drive their new cars (because they're afraid of it losing value) and the problems don't show up until they are out of warranty.

Maybe this excuse worked when Ferrari built 4,000 cars a year, but not today. Just wait until those Karens get crap on their fingers from the sticky buttons in their Ferrari SUV. Your life will be hell.

 

I'll defend them here some. I knew personally one of the Ferrari engineers who was involved some years ago in their durability testing. I also happen to exchange abut 20 emails a week with a guy who does that now for Ford. Fords department for doing that has about as many people as Ferrari employs. They also build about as many cars for that department to try and destroy as Ferrari build for customers. In durability testing the size of the department and time allotted for testing a particular product applies with similar thoroughness if your production run is one car or fifty thousand cars. Ferrari and other niche manufacturers simply do not have the resources to do it. Lamborghini? Audi already did it for them, then just reskinned the car.

People want limited production hand built exclusivity without the down side. Can they do better? You bet. Considering the massive resources available so can everyone else. If you have issues with current Ferrari construction quality you really wouldn't like the quality of the 50's, 60's, 70's or 80's. They are vastly improved from that period of time.

 

I forgot to say Ferrari like all the others to varying degrees buy a lot of parts from vendors. Depending on the part Ferrari may buy 5000 while Ford buys 500000. If you think Ferrari is an important client because of their name you're nuts. If you think Ferrari gets a great price, you're nuts. If you think Ferrari gets the same quality, you know the answer to that already.

 

There's no question things have improved. But Ferrari will only step up to the plate if it customers start holding them accountable. This is why I think the SUV will be a game changer. Like Porsche, the SUV will bring new customers to the brand. But, when Karen gets goop on her expensive clothes after adjusting the radio, Karen will have no problem telling the local service manager he is going to pay for a new dress.

 

People have been saying that and predicting the demise of the company for a long time, for many of the same reasons. Yet every year they make more cars. Every year they bring more products to market that people call a waste of money and every year more people line up around the building standing in lime begging them to take their money.

Face it, they are an automotive Pied Piper.

They have a target audience, they nailed it, and you and I are not in it.

 

But is SUV Karen in it? Really?

 

No kidding. I've only brought one few Ferrari, a Challenge Stradale, and only because the original buyer fell out.

But, I do think Ferrari may regret letting Karens under the tent.

 

You bet she is. Women with sugar daddies and more so women with good careers and a lot of disposable income. They are a big demographic. Think about it. They buy more luxury goods than men. My other half is right now working on a show of some kind on women with Ferraris. .I met her because of her 1st Ferrari. I know a lot of either single women with Ferraris or women whose husbands are not into cars. Open your eyes. Big growing demographic and Ferrari is counting on it. I know this will piss people off but who do you think California was built for? Many stores have a woman sales person. Shes not there to amuse you.

 

Eh, let me clarify. The current Ferrari owners put up with a lot because the Fcar isn't the main car. I think that there's going to be culture shock when a new group of people jump in, only to find that the half-million-dollar daily driver goops up on the inside, has oil leaks, and needs 3 months in the shop for minor repairs.

 

Here's the reality. Ferrari doesn't give a ****. Why should they? They sell everything they "build" regardless of quality. It would make an outstanding MBA case study.

 

The Karens will get a rude awakening, when they’re told to be quiet (not by the dealer) or they could risk their position for being able to place an order for the next latest greatest Ferrari. In other word “No Soup For You, Come Back 1 Year!”

 

Ferrari is a business. so yes, profit is a driver. However part of the Ferrari legacy - the brand is competition. its ads in the 80's - were " We are the competition".... the other part of the brand is exclusivity. from 47-1990, it was pretty easy to stay exclusive because not many people really knew much about Ferrari. in the days of Chinetti and Otto Zipper - there were few dealers and places to work on them. that's why you can find 250 GT's with a corvette engine in them. Ferrari has capitalized on its exclusive, rich, etc.. brand much more since Enzo's death. Montezemolo new how to drive the brand ....and business into clothing and "stuff" that has nothing to do with cars and racing. that is essentially the modern Ferrari we have today. There is an arrogance about it. some dealers do it more than others, but FNA and SpA do it all the time. when we visited the Factory the first time, it was great - we had a very young girl as our guide, and she was polite and deferential. but once at Clienti - the other folks came in it was this very rude - and arrogant "touristi" feeling... and everyone was an Owner - some old cars and some new.... So to me this is cultivated by Ferrari. I get it, but I don't agree with it at all. At an F-1 Race they could care less if you are an owner... and even if you are a sponsor, the treatment is pretty appalling. My point on all this is that Ferrari really doesn't have service and experience in their DNA... its not a corporate priority, mostly because they know they can sell all the cars they can make - every year and have more demand. if that is not the perception Ferrari wants people to have - they are not doing a good job of listening. Happily, we have a great dealer here in Atlanta - but I'm under no illusion... They are great because of the owner and the GM... it could easily be a Russian-owned outfit. ( if you know what I mean.)

Long and short - Ferrari needs to back off the club aspect. they don't monetize things well, and they have a history of no follow through - stick to making amazing cars that would be best. & perhaps just make old new stock switches without the gooey paint. one or two years of stickies... it could be a soft touch ... decades its a Ferrari thing.

 

Oh BTW - I'm actually a share holder of Ferrari as well... I buy more each month... so while I'll never get close to Exor or Piero's holdings... I feel good that I get to *****.

 

Rob, with the exit of Luca Colijanni, end of February and Jean Todt let go day 1 by John Elkann, look for this insanity to end here soon. SFC awaits the return of Mauro Apicella and normal operation and Ferrari will most likely back off of FCA from what I have been told

 

Johnny owns the company, his to do as he wishes unfortunately for us but in the long run he usually does the right thing

 

I get it, its a joke if you ask me, Somehow, with all the shenanigans going on with Ferrari, Im losing my love for the mark. Its a shame that most of the owners with new Ferraris dont, or wont drive them much , because of fear that they may come unglued. Its going to take many years to see how the new cars hold up, we now know a lot about the older cars, 355 , 360 , 430 ,458, 550 , 575 , 599 when it comes to build quality. It will be interesting when the 488 , F8 / 812 / Pista come of age .I could care less about the front mounted V8s, they dont interest me .Its always been a head shake for me when I see all these fools driving around in 600 HP Ferraris , that frankly have no business behind the wheel , So if Ferrari wants to become Toyota, they should at least build cars that will last 100 k miles , having had the s*** beat out of them with no major issues

Thank you

 

I suppose the answer really is for Ferrari Clubs to simply disappear and re launch themselves as much the same minus the usage of the Ferrari trade marks.

 

The red horsey club, the scarlet automobile association, the black cavalino order, the red steed group, the federation of Italian Phillies.

 

I am reading this thread in complete astonishment.
I have been an FCA member for 25 years straight within the Central States Region. Now this club is pushing to become big brother/big business. This was once just a not for profit car club. I loved the simplicity that once was the atmosphere of the club. It was once like family. Local events were organized and done by volunteers not by third parties. If we were sponsoring a charity, a member/volunteer would solicit raffle tickets at events. We all pitched in and extended a helping hand.

The FCA was once a sanctuary for me to escape big business politics.
We did once have an event called "Prancing Horse Roundup" it was hosted by our FCA Regional Director at his home. The Club picked up the catered food, and portable johns. We even had a local Italian guy (Mario) playing old blue eyes songs on an accordion.
Participant's went home with a small attendance wall plaque.
I hate to be the guy bringing up the "old days" but this shows what this club once was. Now it has just become big business. Events were designed to maximize "Fun Factor" and treat all members with respect and dignity. It didn't matter if you drove in with a Mondial or an Enzo.

I just received my FCA renewal notice. I will be declining, and instead joining an alternate club called FuelFed. I have been to some of their local events and saw what the FCA was a just a few years ago. What a shame.

 

Enzo must be turning over in his grave!