What was the first "exotic" you saw as a kid that started your passion?

One Saturday night a friend and myself drove up to Hollywood. Finding nothing to do we drove to Santa Monica. There we stopped at Otto Ziffer Motor Cars. A nice British salesman took us into the back and showeed us a 275 GTB which had just won Sebring. After that, I knew Ferrari was the ONLY car.

 

Allan, I plan on moving to Maui next year, and have been wondering which car to bring with me. I have a 99 Diablo SV and a 81 GTSi. The 81 is virtually trouble free, my Lambo always seems to be having some problem or other (thank goodness small stuff) But if something major goes wrong, what do you do?

 

In the 1960's, we lived in Seattle..every summer for vacation we would drive to California to visit our relatives...my parents would always stop in Reno during the trip...my dad didnt like to gamble, so he would and I would always visit the Harrah's auto collection in Sparks, outside of Reno. He would always say the Maserati's were his favorite, then Ferrari. Rows and rows of old classic cars...but watching the restoration shop was always my favorite. Of course Bill Harrah died, then Holiday Inn took over and auctioned most of the collection...but Reno still has an excellent Auto Museum.

 

First was a Jag XKE when I was in my teens followed by the Ferrari Testarossa years later. pd

 

Back in the mid 70's I saw a 365 GTB/4 Daytona Coupe when I was 6. It was owned by a Dr. that lived down the street. I knew then that car commanded much more respect a vette.

 

Bring both. If you do have little problems with the Sv, im sure between the 2 of us we can fix it. What kind of problems have you been having?

Plus, we'll have a blast with 2 Diablos tearing up the roads!

If something ever happened, the Lambo dealer in Oahu, will fly a Lambo tech to the dealer on Maui.

How come we never ran into one another in Scottsdale? I lived in Grayhawk (Sonoran Hills) for about 15 months. Only other Sv i saw was a 98 Silver/black.

 

I remember it very well. I was looking at my Dad's R&T in 1978 when I was 12. There was a silver 308GTS on the cover- I was mesmerized. Still have the issue. I told myself I would have a Ferrari before I was 35. On 2/25/00 I got my 328 GTB when I was 34. !

 

Xk 120

 

When I was young (8 year old) I remember my dad had bought a magazine talking about the F40 and each day I would take the magazine and look at the pics of the F40. Oh yeah ..and whenever I went to my grandparents some neighbour had a 308 but doesn't have it anymore. I can still remember myself looking at that car went I was a little kid. Ah memories!

 

In the fourth grade I was a crosswalk attendant in the mornings at my elementary school. On rainy mornings we would open car doors with umbrellas for kids. A kid in my class had a dad with a 308GTB that he drove rian or shine. I along with the other attendants would practically fistfight amongst ourselves as to who was going to open the door on the Ferrari. In the fifth grade he traded it for a Z28. Even then I knew he was an idiot...

 

I still am!

Ken

 

My dad brought home a silver Daytona Spider and his friend bought a red Daytona coupe at the same time Around 1975ish. Never knew what a Ferrari was before. That's what started it all!

 

i had this poster when i was a kid and still have it. that was really my first real contact with an exotic like a ferrari or porsche. after that it was my dad's m5, but quickly it because a Ferrari 512 that attempted to race him on the freeway. a moment i'll never forget.
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Ah, the Ford GT-40, so named, I believe, for it's 40" height.
Loved the look of that car, even bought a powered model of it. Green with white stripes...

First F car would have been the Dino that I saw in a magizine article. I think it was one of the first to come to the US, and I believe it was brought over by Dino Martin, Dean Martin's son.

Still want that GT-40.....

 

In the mid sixties I was up in LA visiting cousins. Somebody stopped by with a brand new E typ Jaguar. The guy piled a bunch of us kids in.
Even some lying in the stowage area and took us around the neighborhood.
The smell of leather and the sight of that looooooooooooong graceful hood spoke to me. I think I have been a "car guy" ever since.

A few years later I got a Matchbox car of the Iso Grifo. Just more reinforcement.

Erich

 

First car seen in magazines that started the love affair: Muira
First car seen in person: Europa--I wanted it so bad I could tast it for weeks

 

I started a thread like this a while back, but it was a first Ferrari thread. It died a quick death.

First exotic I saw was an F-40 at a hobby store, what a first exotic! It was a Revell level 1 snap together, I still remember that huge wing, the "chrome" 5 spoke wheels, the pre-painted red paint, and that vented rear glass. Those four things I remember most about that car.

 

I got hooked in jr. high when a friend showed my his father's Gullwing and next to it was a brand spaking new testarossa - both fine pieces of art.

Looking back, those cars were quite an inspiration to get serious about schooling, work, etc., so i could get in position one day to purchase myself.....

 

My father was an exotic fan; i remember seeing Countaches and Testarossas... Magnum's 308 GTS was another one... When i was but a sapling, i remember seeing a Vector at the Auto Show... i loved it... Also saw Keaton's Batmobile there... As a little kid, the futuristic stuff always caught my eye, but sports cars did so, even more... Also, when i was a kid, we saw a red Countach... i unbuckled my seat belt and strained to check it out as we drove past... My father said it was a kit car, though... Also, when i was a kid, we used to go to White Plains/Westchester (Central Ave., maybe?) and my father would stop at some nondescript dealership and they always had really cool cars... i remember they had Ferraris in there at times, but they also had other cars, as well...

 

928.

one of these days i'll get off my lazy ass and actually buy one

a 928GT or 928GTS.

doody.

 

Saw a Daytona and a Lambo Miura long time ago when I was a kid living in California. Saw both within one week.

 

Remember the movie "Grand Prix"? The opening scene when those awesomely beautiful exhaust pipes are filling the movie screen and vibrating ever so finely and the whole theatre is echoing with the scream of a 60s F1 engine running up and down the rev range sharply and quickly? Weeaah, weeeeaaahhhhh. Never will I forget it.

Later in that movie "Enzo Ferrari" drives up in a 330GTC and gets out. Instantly and fatally hooked. I finally bought one about a month ago!
Great thread.....
Will

 

Sports Car Graphic, I think it was the first issue, the cover shot was a light blue XKE. I was hooked on sports cars right then and I still am, but I never did get that XKE.

 

Will,

Me too! And I saw Grand Prix first run in Cinerama in NYC with whatever sound system was state of the art in 1966. That and a ride in a Miura in 1969 did it to me.

Barry

 

In my case it, it was the Maserati Merak from the early seventies.
A beautiful car, made by Italdesign.