Classiche Certification- new rules

The more I think about it, the more I think Ferrari will find this new policy to bear them little financial fruit. If the renewal checks are inexpensive, it won't add much to a $14 billion company's bottom line. If they're expensive, people just won't bite. I suspect folks will purchase the service once, get the book, and let that suffice as marketing if they go to sell. Most owners who maintain their cars to that level of originality AND pay to have them certified aren't going to badly adulterate them after, and I think they'll leave it to future owners to comply or not comply. And if future owners are held to account for any previous lapse, they'll tell the factory to stuff it. The market, and not Marchionne, determines demand. The buyers of cars for which Classiche is materially important are wealthy and generally pretty savvy.

 

This is the point for 308 owners. It likely means having to use the main dealer for service... being held to their labor rates and their service schedules. If you already use a main dealer then an extra hour or two labor for the annual checklist is not a big deal. But my experience with my local main dealer was that they didn't have a clue when it came to servicing a carb 308. No way I would use them for service on my car. We have a few independents in the area that know these cars extremely well. Maybe an altruistic FNA will license these independents as classiche inspectors... if the intention is just to maintain the purity of the cars already verified and not be an additional revenue stream.

 

One can hope that Ferrari is doing it in the interest of the history of the marque, to aid preservation and originality of the vintage cars - my (naive) hope that this is in good intentions, a sign of integrity of an old historian at Maranello, and not a questionable scheme of the marketing department to milk money.

 

I was expecting a move like that. At first as they gain other money. Second because several cars are modified just after having achieved the Classiche first certificate: my mechanic has shelfs of OEM parts that he can't sell "I can't sell them as I have to borrow them to the owners that want to have the classiche Certificate for their cars".

So, let's see how much they want for a 308 to keep alive the certificate and if it will be every year, every two years or what.

In any case, every certificate or award or prize, won't ensure that the car in the future won't be damaged, modified and so on.

ciao

 

I still say, the whole thing is nothing more than a wank.

 

When a car receives Classiche certificaton the owner is provided a book ( The red book) with complete with copies of original factory documents, photographs of relevant components and the "Ferrari Classiche" badge.

The whole point of the book is to document the condition of the car at the time it qualified for Classiche . As long as the car continues to be the same the pictures in the classiche book (and the numbers are still the same) then there should be no reason to require an annual certification.

M

 

I didn't think the point was to document the condition but to certify that it matches the original specification as the car last left the factory.

 

Classic bate and switch by Ferrari S.p.A / FNA the program was to determine if the car had it's original components, now they want to force the cars back to the dealerships where the technicians were in diapers when the car was delivered to document annual service?

All of the master technicians have left my local dealership to start their own business and I followed them. My certification was completed in 2006 and that is good enough for me.

Another S.p.A. / FNA money crab that has nothing to do with preservation of the marque! Are they going to do a complete inspection and take new pictures of the serial numbers every year?

 

These cars were never designed to still be around after 40+ years, so I think the factory should be paying us for all the love and money we have spent maintaining them and fixing the manufacturing and design faults they had when the left the factory.

No way I would pay for Classiche or Ferrari approval. It's my car not theirs.

 

You are playing with semantics. The Classiche certificate and book isn't issued unless the car received certificaton. The book is not the certification document, (that is the certifcate) the book however does contain all the pictures of the car and copies of the documents that Ferrari used to evaluate and grant Clasiche status.
At any point in time it's possible to compare the book and the car to see if the car is still the same as shown in the book. The purpose of the book is to document the condition of the car at the time it qualified for Classiche.

M

 

Yawn.

The only thing that matters is the condition of the car NOW...not at the time of certification. Did I mention that I think it's a ridiculous waste of time and money? Anyone who paid to get one...sucked in!

Anyone who paid more for a car because it has one...SUCKED IN.

 

I would think than in order to sign off on it the evaluation would have to be somewhat comprehensive. Otherwise, what is the point if the goal is to ensure complete originality?

How much time would that take? What is a dealer's hourly rate these days?

Plus the tribute paid to Ferrari?


Like I said, this is a problem for the owners of the million dollar vintage models - if they want to play that game, not us.

 

Ferrari. Never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Smells like a two day old trout....

 

Amen brother.

Is it clear whether or not you must recertify annually, or can you let it lapse until you want/need a clear Classiche?

 

More than twenty years ago the trend to limit the miles you put on your car really grew legs. In my service business this meant I had to grow the business buy twenty percent each year just to maintain last year's numbers. People that don't use their cars don't require service.
I am sure Ferrari has figured this out and now has an additional means of generating revenue. One can argue that almost every FCar needs something done to it?
As for the FCA, I am old enough to know its' original charter was to promote ownership and organize, by strength in numbers, the ability to have replacement parts made. In the late sixties we couldn't buy pistons. No parts available anywhere. So it was about the comradery.
I feel the underlying concern now is maintaining a car's value and doing everything possible to increase its' value. It's all very sad state of affairs.

 

What is that quote about not driving your Ferrari to preserve the value is like not have sex with your girlfriend so she will be more attractive to her next boyfriend?

 

I took one of my cars to a Ferrari authorized shop just one time, when I got my first old Ferrari. That's a very expensive (and useless too...) mistake I didn't repeat anymore nor I want to repeat in the future...

ciao

 

I have five great looking books with my cars printed on them: I paid them more or less 13500 euro, average cost is 2700 euro each. A bit expensive, as a book, but they are very nice to have (as an old Ferrari, that is a scrap, but very nice to see...). If the cost of the check is ok for me, I will have them checked each year: otherwise I think I will keep the books as they are

ciao

 

They have to monetize everything while they can.

I seriously doubt that millenials are going to spend the money to collect older Ferraris so they can sit around in their blue blazers obsessing over the fact that their nylocks are yellow or not. It's hard to for me to imagine this level of obsession with 360's or 458's in the future.

Personally I could care less as I enjoy my cars for me. I don't care if I have some BS red book to show how "proper" my car is. If I had a 250 GTO I might feel differently.

 

our cars are classic Ferrari, exactly like a 250 GTO is. I think we have to stop thinking that a 308 is just an old worthless car: it isn't.

This said, I would like to know if you are forced to check the car EACH year, or, for example, you can check the car the year when you want to sell it and theywill put the stamp on the red book the same. If you can do the second way, maybe that's a good idea for everyone, the owners, Ferrari and the buyers. If you are forced each year, for us is a disaster

ciao

 

+1
And unfortunately that expensive red BS-book still lacks essential informations.

Best
Martin

 

I think if you had a 250GTO you would be rich enough, and self-confident enough, to feel the same. Unless you had borrowed the money to buy it of course.

 

I love, love the 308 and do no think it's worthless. IMO it isn't any where near a 250 GTO other than it was made by the same company.

Lol, if I had one I would be too busy tracking the hell out of it to care!