296 VS

I hear April with a digital launch.

 

If what you’re saying is true, the future of the brand is in jeopardy. The incentive as a collector disappears if after buying everything offered AND keeping a collection…limited and VS cars no longer have significant upside in value. Ferrari will see throngs of owners instead choose older ICE cars to add to collections over new, hybrid cars that continue to depreciate.

You may be right, but as a collector and a shareholder (and someone holding an SF90 spider while waiting for an XX to be built), I’m genuinely concerned about what lies ahead. Trying to decide whether to take the 296 VS when offered one. While I prefer my 812 GTS, I did take an 12C spider, to ensure I get the VS. Obviously, ICE V12 GT’s should always be in demand. But, the company can’t survive with one model that sells.

 

Interesting I did some quick calcs in the UK - might be different elsewhere:

F12TDF when new around 340k-380k Pounds
F12TDF on Autotrader around 800k pounds ASKING - Seen them in the low 700k

812 Comp when new around 480k-550k Pounds
812 Comp on Autotrader around 1m-1.1m ASKING

If one looks at the time value of money as well as what one would have had to spend to even get one of these, at best you might make a few $ at worst you have lost a substantial amount and you need to continue in the Ferrari game. Frankly its exhausting IMO - make ownership suck IMO. FYI: I had both the 812 Superfast and the 812GTS from new and was not offered an 812Comp.

If I want one of these at some point, I rather pay the premium when I want to.

 

TDF's at their peak sold for outrageous amounts, iirc nearly £1.2m but the market has died down a bit

 

Has the Ferrari special model wheel ever been a practical way to make profit? It’s not like you can just sell the special model right away to recoup your losses. You’d be blacklisted.

I think buy what you want to keep and enjoy is the only method.

 

I’m not a collector for the purpose of making money. There are far better ways to do that. My point earlier was, if moving forward nearly all models are hybrids and even the special/limited models suffer from depreciation, it spells big trouble for the brand. It’s why we’re being required to hold SF90’s until taking delivery of XX’s. Sadly, it’s not even Ferrari’s fault. They’re simply a victim of geopolitical will and having to adapt with some products proving to be less desirable.

 

Maybe they've also expanded production beyond what car enthusiasts could absorb - so they needed buyers with other motivations and these buyers cannot be expected to have the same loyalty. In other words, the business model that allowed impressive short term benefits may not be sustainable.
I suspect a significant number of SF90 buyers were convinced they would get free use for one or two years because of no depreciation - but when they all wanted to realize that promise, putting their cars on the market, there were simply not enough second hand buyers to support the wished selling prices. The number of new cars sold was artificially inflated over the existing market for that type of car, and that backfired when the cars reached the second hand market (which cannot be artificially inflated in the same proportions).

 

To your point, I think the covid craziness energized this market a bit, and it is settling back down now.

 

Since I've been saying it for a long time, you've unfortunately taken it as a provocation that it wasn't...
Their commercial strategy is "bad" and in the short term, no vision in it... Blow by blow !!!

 

Dont let Ferrari off the hook so easily and blame geopolitics. They have choices and frankly took their buyers for granted for too long. WTF: being told what to do with your SF90 - cmon - you paid for it - its yrs - which company tells you what to do with something you own!!!

 

Not sure I understand this part of your post. Ferrari never said a person couldn't sell their SF90. They just weren't getting the XX if they did. Rolex, AP, Patek, Etc. will all black ball you if you flip your watches. Ferrari views their brand the same. They're a luxury good.

 

It's ok - pretty normal behaviour. Ive found Ferrari as a brand is rife with apologists. If only customers would stop apologising on Ferrari's behalf for very obvious vehicle defects and unacceptable business practices the cars would not only be so much better than what they currently are, but Ferrari would also become less incentivised to rip customers off so badly along with having outrageous after sales conditions being imposed.

 

If only the apologists could stop with the unnecessary apologising and start putting their foot down with Ferrari - and start saying enough is enough - which is unfortunately unlikely happen unless they put their toes into the water with the other brands and realise there are actually better cars available for significantly less - and only then will it dawn upon them they've been played for absolute fools. But then again, maybe not. Some customers may have simply become so addicted to the lash their lives have become dependant upon it, hence all the apologising.

 

It's very hard to deprogram branding, especially childhood-level memories and status associations of the halcyon days of the 308/328, Testarossa, F40... that generation who were young men in the 80s (I was a child but those images stick) are now getting their professional stride and at 45-65 are buying up these new, obscenely priced cars.

 

We are all guilty of falling victim to conditioning at one point in time, conditioning which can often result in unnecessary disappointment and financial pain.
You make a good point re those now into their professional stride at ages 45-65 being all too willing to fall victim - often in the pursuit of prestige and/or the recognition of financial status -, having very little understanding of what they are actually getting themselves into. It's usually the case where adequate inconvenience coupled with enough financial pain can serve as a wake up call for some. For others it becomes more of a dignity issue where they prefer to ride it out, and pretend they were unaffected, in many cases even willingly repeat the same mistake to save face amongst those they may view as peers who may criticise the obvious stupidity involved.
With so many alternatives now available it lends question to just how long Ferrari will be able to sustain their current business model given these overpriced hybrids, often found unreliable and exacting inconvenience, are going to result in significant financial casualty for those who bought in at the top. How many will want to repeat that exercise? It isn't as if all of these buyers are going to be offered a way out by receiving allocation of numbered VS cars either.

 

I am just responding to the person's post re not being able to sell your car you own? Rolex, AP etc dont know you sold your watch unless you post on a social platform

 

The only odd post regarding selling I’ve seen was a dealer throwing a lien on a car to which the owner had the title. That seems illegal to me or at least asinine .

 

Is it just me or does @rsguy's writing style and syntax remind you of shadowfax. No shade just an observation.

 

?? Is that a good or bad thing?

 

I know that some Ferrari customers - including some with considerable means - are moving from new Ferrari to classic Ferrari.
I don't know though if it's a trend that's strong enough to impact Ferrari business.

 

More like chat GPT answers with little to no actual experience . That is why the ramblings are best ignored.

 

it's pretty logical really considering the usable on-road performance peaked awhile ago and is limited by how suicidal you feel

so many fun/emotional cars from ferraris past to drive too!

 

Could well be. Equally unhinged.

 

I've read the above comments and haven't really spent enough time to fully absorb every last point but from a high level overview, it appears most people want to own something that they can be proud of for many years as a "true" collectable. Apparently, that path comes down to two options, buy a pre-owned "classic", defined as classic by that individual or a limited release by Ferrari considered as historically significant. The other option would be (assuming you aren't going to do all the driving schools, sponsor a race team, etc.) is to apparently buy a car from all their offerings including entry (Roma/Portofino), sports series (296), GT series (F12), FUV (Purosangue) and premium line (Sf90), to possibly be given an opportunity to buy a VS car. In other words, assume around 2.5m in financing the various cars for the time being. I would think that you would maintain maybe 80% of value if you kept everything long enough to get a VS allocation and kept the regular version of the VS car until delivery. So, is it worth the 500k plus interest, paperwork, etc.? Assuming you have the finances/ credit, etc. I could only justify it if I wanted at least some of those base cars to keep. I love my Portfino M for it's timeless design, the Purosangue (on order) for its practicality, an SF90 spider (in transit), for its sheer power and presence, and so on. IMO, if you have no need or don't have love for current offerings, just go pre-owned classic. On the other hand, if you do love or have a "need" for current vehicles, once you make the investment, you could continue to trade in current offerings for next generation offerings as they become available, take the 500k loss each time but possibly be able to obtain a new VS allocation for each new cycle of cars. As stated elsewhere, it's certainly not a way to make money, but may offset some of the depreciation in the long run if and when you decide to sell one or more VS cars down the road.

 

Same Info here. April.2025 at our MyFerrari App / online.

Later at LeMans 11-15 June 2025 it could be shown in real.