Ferrari trying to take over ferrari club

Right-O! Brian, let me tell you about Steve: twelve years ago I bought my cherished 575M from a first-time Ferrari owner in Virginia who had owned the car for under a year, loved it so much that he was intending to buy a 599. No service records so I asked from whom he had bought the car: Texas dealer. Called and reached Steve who immediately faxed me the car's entire service record. End of story.

 

Thank you for engaging in this thread. I will find my copy of the CD when I have time, and find the article that clearly states the "Ferrari Representative" is from a Ferrari POS (point of sale). My other information is as I have also written, obtained from a few weeks ago in discussion with a current board member. Quite strange that several clubs have updated their Boards with up to two personnel from the dealer, if the clubs need nothing to do with them. However, I will let you hold the factual basis since you are in possession of the documents. So please enlighten us further with information. It seems you have not commented on any of my other information, validating its genuineness.

Regarding your comment about the annual meeting, you are contradicting yourselves. Firstly I find it somewhat offensive you are insinuating I've never attended a meeting (which I most definitely have). You begin by saying they are not funded by Ferrari, but then saying Ferrari does infact cover the costs of accomodation/meals. Did you also forget the VIP passes to Finali, (sometimes) free transport, dinner at a fancy location etc? Our opinions obviously differ, but under my definition this is a so-called paid trip ex travel expenses (as I stated). If you chose to use this occasion to make a larger holiday out of it, engaging in other activities that rack up the bill, that's your choice. But the journey itself with the mission of attending the meeting has just about everything covered (accomodation/breakfast/lunch/dinner) except travel expenses. They even throw in passes to Finali with access to lounges/bars so you can have a good time.

Feel free to express your opinions as you are entitled to, but don't blast someone else for posting information you merely chose to interpret differently. Especially when you are factually incorrect, even by your own saying.

 

Ferrari pretty much insist that every FOC sends a representative to the annual meeting. They cover one, sometimes 2 nights accomodation, one or 2 evening meals and attendance at the Finali. The club ( or representative) covers the cost of travel, which for most clubs outside of Europe, is a significant expense. Then there is the travel time. Ferrari's "contribution" is trival compared to the cost of attending.

The typical agenda of an FOC meeting is 3 hours of Ferrari marketing people talking about the companies commercial achievements in the past year, (largely irrelevant to the operation of clubs,) and then a few hours about how Ferrari is unhappy about how clubs operate and IP infringements. There is no agenda provided, they don't provide minutes, they don't follow up on promises, often don't even provide name tags for the invited attendees. But they will tell you they are the best car company in the world. It's an astonishing blend of arrogance and incompetence.

Ferrari have very little idea how clubs operate and what motivates people to join clubs or volunteer to run them. Essentially they see clubs, and the volunteers that are involved in running them as an untapped marketing resource that needs to be controlled and exploited.

It's insulting when a 30 something "exec" who has been with Ferrari for perhaps 2 years and doesn't / and probably will never own a Ferrari (and who will most likely be working for another company entirely next year ) starts spruiking about "passion for the brand" and imparting his vision for Ferrari Owners Clubs.

There are around 46 "offical" owners clubs with a total of 16,000 members. The 4 largest clubs account for 14 000 of those members, and while some of the smaller clubs have agred to the terms of Ferraris new agreement, the larger ones most certainly have not.

 

Yes, if course the cost of travel may surpass what is covered. I’ve never said anything to the contrary. As your comment further cements, the cost of accommodation required to attend the meeting - is covered by Ferrari. For overseas travelers, I have no issue seeing a lengthy journey for a few nights of covered accommodation is a different endeavor. However, trying to spin this to that the event ex travel expenses is not covered by Ferrari (which Mr. Hogg attempts early on in his comment to dement my information) is factually incorrect - even though the journey for him as an overseas traveler may incur significant out of pocket expense.

Otherwise it sounds like our perception is shared. I have for the sake of being accurate also stated previously that the signed clubs do not represent the majority of membership holders.

 

For those that have seen or in possession of the actual template document, can you detail the contentions points?

- Is supplying the club member list with full contact information required?
- Is the Ferrari importer representative to be a voting member of the club's leadership or is this just that there is a designated liaison person? [There is such a Ferrari North America liaison person to the Ferrari Club of America.]
- Preapproval of club events? [I can see this being able to work in a small country but in the US with near 50 local chapters each holding events that gets unworkable.]
- Any specific exclusion clause of independent dealers, service shops, parts suppliers as club members, sponsors, events at their locations?
- Requirement of a dealer being a voting member of a local club's leadership? [In the Ferrari Club of America there are some dealers that have a person in the Chapter leadership but they are doing this as a choice on both sides and not any mandate. Steve is the DFW Chapter president and does it as his interest in the group. The Michigan Chapter's treasurer is/was a salesperson for the Detroit area dealer; again out of their interest in being part of/supporting the club.]

There are legitimate things to be concerned about but let's be accurate with what is on the list.

 

Some of the clubs are owned directly by SpA (Italy and Spain are 2 I know of). Some of the fairly recently formed clubs may have been set up by that country's importer so they will be predisposed to comply.

 

Just so that I am clear, Ferrari Owners Club ( FOC ) and Ferrari Club of America ( FCA ) are two completely different " clubs " entities, correct?

S

 

Yes

 

In the USA. As I understand it, internationally most affiliated clubs have the name FOC.

 

Yes, FOC is an abbreviation used by Ferrari to describe the affilliated clubs

 

And a large number of those "30 something "execs" with Ferrari for 2 years" come straight from Barilla, the legendary pasta and noodle giant in Parma, Italy, not far from Modena/Maranello. So, were are now back at the Tortellini.......

Marcel Massini

 

There is some consideration that the Ferrari Owners Club (US for clarity) may slightly predate the creation of the Ferrari Club of America in 1962. But there is also a claim made that the FOC has a dormant period while the FCA never did.

The FOC was essentially a California organization run out of the LA area. There as a specific Bay Area chapter in at least the 1970s. In those days the FCA did not have a presence on the West Coast. Any of their members in that area would have been a member of both clubs. In fact, one could find a lot of dual memberships across the whole US.

 

I was a member of both for a number of years.

 

As was I. Have very fond memories of attending FOC board meetings at Bill Schanbacher's company. Some of the names from those meetings: Ken Starbird, Ed Niles, Bob McMillen, Erich Laetch, Lyle Tanner, Larry Crane, Mark Dees.

 

FCA was prominent here in the Detroit area. I thought I recalled the club origins starting here in the Mid West.
Plenty of car designers were involved.

 

FCA formation was Detroit and Chicago. Dick Merritt at the time was at GM in product planning. By the time of club formation the Indiana person had been a GM designer but left for International Harvester. From the 2013 Annual Meet there is one o the program booklets on the club formation and the original founders.

 

The late Larry Nicklin. Met him years ago when I was interested in joining FCA. He and Chuck 'twisted ' my arm and got me to join.

 

Jeff,

Why do you think Ferrari of Houston gets along so well with Kansas City Chapter but not their own chapter? ( or do they ? ) working off hearssay ..

S

 

I think it is incorporated in Ohio.

 

I am pretty close to several Houston chapter people. I am not so sure thats true. It seems people love or hate them but wouldn't say either side has overwhelming numbers. They hosted something I did one time and they were very gracious.

 

Jeff I understand you might have reasons to be dubious of this but I was told it was to be held in strict confidence until an agreement is in place. The same condition was in place last time but one who was properly in the know was a client and was genetically incapable of keeping his mouth shut. You know who I am talking about.

 

LOL


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app

 

Could be. Per Prancing Horse #4, The original central mailing address was in Birmingham, Michigan.

 

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