Best Value Ferrari

Thats an easy one 456.
New over 200k
I have seen them now for less then 70k

 

Totally agree... The Testarossa is one of the best love, best value and way underrated. I believe the reason of the underrated was the issuing of the 512TR. It was so perfect that make the Testarossa became underdog overnight. But the 512TR got their own problems these days same as the Testarossa. When I was serching for the Testarossa, I couldn't believe my eyes that the price of the Testarossa is in the same range of the 348 or even the decent 328. I thought the market got confused. Just because it was expected to have higher maintainance??? Tell me which Ferrari doesn't have high maintanance... they're all high. One is a bit higher but they're all high in maintainance cost.... The Lotus... that's nothing in maintanance...

 

OK let's think out of the box...

My pick for best value is the F40.

I know the price of admission is high but here's the logic:
1. Definitive supercar
2. Special wherever you go; show, track, club events
3. Already hit there low price point. It'll only appreciate from here.
4. Unbelievable looks
5. Better performance than looks
6. History... Enzo's last
7. Maintenance cost to purchase price ratio quite rasonable
8. Price really isn't that high considering exclusivity. new 430 spider's going for around 325K, superamerica went for about 390K

 

308 GT4. Hands down. Extremely cheap for what you get (<$20k). Handles better than 308 series cars (longer wheelbase). Lighter than some of the 308 GTS versions. Nice Carb sound. Mean looks. Room for more than one hot chick

But hey, I'm biased.

Dom

 

If the question is which Ferrari returns the most of what you buy a Ferrari for with the least amount of investment, I would second the GT4 with Dom.

 

i love my 308 gt4.but it is pretty invisible when stacked up against a gts/gtb.goes like stink and handles very well.rock solid at over 140.

 

im gonna say 348, and thats awsome too because i really like those

 

355 any model modern powerful and great fun to drive.

 

LOL.... Hint, Hint

I will have to agree Mark. 328 is a great value... I know people who use them for daily drivers....

 

Interesting thread with lots of good answers, so I guess there is not really any "right"answer. I like Simons take on the F40 value and think the same could be said for the F50 at this point.
Maybe 'best" value has to be tempered by the economics of the buyer, ie for some best value would be a 308, for others dropping 200-300k for the new model and as 911fan pointed out, you can drive it for "free" if you can afford to tie up the cash. I think the 456 is a good answer for many and the 550 is almost to that point.
Do you guys think the 550 will fall to current 456 prices, or steady a bit higher?

 

Most of the answers given were the excuses these guys told their wives, very few had any basis in real values.

All regular production Ferraris depreciate in value, often 60% of their original selling price. Eventually, each model reaches its gully and begins to rise. We are starting to see 308s approach their original MSRPs again, for very clean examples. It is important to remember that just because a 308 has sold for $60,000 recently, does not make it a good investment. When rationalizing people forget to mention inflation and that the $60,000 they may sell for today is worth less than half of the $60,000 MSRP the car sold for 20+ years ago. So what I am saying is, if you bought a Ferrari new and paid $60,000 in 1985 and you sold it for $60,000 today, you are still a net loser of not only the 50% inflation ate up, but also the income/appreciation the original $60,000 could have created. Your $60,000 Ferrari investment should have a value of $200,000+ if we assume money in the stock market doubles every 6~8 years.

How can we make a Ferrari be a best value? Buy used, and make it a ten year old vehicle. My findings are that at the ten year mark, exotics are depreciated the most. If you take a vehicle like the 348 that may have sold for $120,000 multiply it by .4 (for 60% depreciation) you come to $48,000, a price we have seen the earlier examples sell for. I feel that there is little downside risk in such a vehicle, as you are already at rock bottom IMO. The key ingredient is the original owner takes the $72,000 loss, or you could say they pay $7,200/year to drive a Ferrari. If you think about it, $7,200/year is only $600/month, cheaper than leasing a Benz.

If you have the ability to catch a super car, in a depressed market, then that is my best case scenario as far as an "investment". Suppose there is another terrorist attack, the stock market and the housing market see vast losses and the economy comes to a stand still. The people we think of as downturn proof all of a sudden become vulnerable, their earnings are nil, they have always leveraged their investments and the bills are piling up. You may find an opportunity to purchase a F40 for $250,000, which would appreciate on the next upswing.

So as a pure investment you need lots of variables to line up. To buy a Ferrari to drive, get back out even and have your only expense to have been maintence and insurance, purchase a 10 year old automobile and hold it for 10 years when it will be a "classic" and it should be back near its original MSRP in non-inflation adjusted dollars.

 

what he said

 

Just a F-car owner (308gt4) rookie here but "dollar for dollar" IMH and biased opinion..the 308gt4 is the best value if what you are looking for is the Ferrari driving experience. I've talked to others who have driven numerous types of F-cars and I am told the v8 Dino, as a driver's car, is as good as any and more fun than most. I have not driven any other model but it's hard for me to imagine more fun (alone) behind the wheel. You get this for the cost of a Toyota Camry! You could buy two Dino's for the current price of some original muscle cars....great value. just my opinion.

 

An early TR as far as a berlinetta is concerned and a 365GTC/4 as far as a 2+2. Both have 12 cylinders and are a bargain in the current market. I disagree that the 3 series models are a bargain at all. Theirs performance level is poor at best yet they cost almost as much to maintain as a 12 cylinder car. Plus, they made so many of them that they will never be considered "collector cars". While I acknowledge that a lot of TRs were made too, but it has a 12 cylinder engine and great performance even by todays standards unlike the 3 series models.

 

From what I have seen the 550 is the best value. Bought right you can have one for right at $100,000. They are still selling with low miles for $280K. This means you could have one for about 35% of its current top selling value.

It is modern (less maintainence), has one of the nicest interiors I have seen, a V12, and I don't really forsee them getting a lot cheaper.

Just my $.02.

Dusty

 

1) 348
2) 456 GT
3) Testarossa

 

308 GT4

Not a bad car at all. Cheap. Easy to work on. Great sound (carbs)

 

Testarossas are definetely a good value...If you don't put too many miles on them, you can hardly loose any money.. unless you bought a new one...
Prices are very low and a nice TR can be picked up for a little over 1/3 of the new price... However, maintenance on TRs is another story...

 

would agree that the GT4 and all V-12 and V-8 Ferraris are great cars for the money.

Guess it all depends on what's important. Sure many Hondas and econoboxes will 'stomp' many older Ferraris - including Lussos and 250 SWBs - but that is not that the point. You would own and drive most older Ferraris or Alfas for far more sophisticated reasons than the ability to 'stomp' a Honda.

 

I agree...but, the question was "best value Ferrari", and one that can't run with a jap 4 door sedan is not much of a value to me...

 

How does the Boxer's value fare, then, in reference to an EVO or WRX Sti?

 

Life isn't a 0-60 race. No one would buy a 308 (any series) now because they want a fast car. How do you feel about the 2 door "jap" cars that cost far less and go faster than a Boxer? I bet you could care less because you like your Ferrari and that is all that ia really important - not how fast you can go.

Besides - anything over 70 is illegal anyway...

 

yeah, kind of all over the map. I would have thought more consensus on a specific model.