I think the Daytona is beautiful, too. The problem with them, as I understand it, is that below 80mph they drive like a truck. They were designed as Grand Touring cars back in the day when you could cruise across Europe at 130mph. If you live somewhere where you can cruise at 100 mph I'm sure they're really enjoyable. I can't do that where I live so I have no use for a Daytona. In contrast, the Dino is fun at speeds I can drive without getting arrested.
I briefly owned one in the 80s. To me the Daytona is a beautiful car, BUT it is a 1970s' body and really looks '70s... the shark nose just anchors it in a moment. It is dated and will always be mired in the Miami Vice aesthetic. By contrast The 250 series cars are elegant beauties that clearly belong to an earlier era. The Dino is the perfect bridge between the cars of the 50's and 60's and the "modern" cars. It is sensuous and rounded, while also being sharp and angular, with a low, muscular stance on its sculpted rear haunches massing behind the counterpoint of the positively feminine front wheel wells. It is not in your face, but in your head. Driving it is another world from a Daytona. In fact, it's in a world by itself. (I say this with new assurance, because it was 50 and sunny here today, and I took it out for a spin. My son is 14, and after a couple of minutes, he stopped talking and we just sat there, listening to the engine working up and down the gears, feeling the car settle into its line in the curves, a nice warm breeze coming out of the heater vents. counteracting the slight nip in the air coming in from the vent windows. A half-hour later, he had a huge grin on his face. He knows he's going to inherit this car someday. I'd smile, too.) Anything that looks that good, is that much fun and that well-mannered to drive, and makes everyone you pass smile is a classic.
Mike, You got it! Sounds like your son does too. Everyone smiles! And then they get to drive it. No more smiles; Grins! John
I have to respectfully disagree. People really need to drive vintage cars for themselves. I had always heard that Daytona's clutches are heavy (mine is not). I had always heard the steering is heavy at slow speeds (mine is, but no more so than my 330GTC or any other vintage front engine V12 Ferrari). I have the European version which is much, much faster and lighter than the US version so that probably helps. I love my Dino. I love my Daytona. It is perfectly happy to go 30 MPH all day and is very comfortable to drive. A highway speeds it has a lot of power (175MPH was the fastest car in the world for many years). I think you would really like the car. Joe Seminetta
Have we seen model-specific Ferrari price bubbles in the past (excluding the short-lived new car premiums for mass-produced modern Ferraris...)? I know the whole market soared then crashed in the early '90s recession, but offhand I can't recall an older model appreciating significantly and then suddenly falling out of favour.
