First time seeing a Ferrari in person

I'm originally from Bangladesh, so I could never even dream of seeing a Ferrari in real life as I was growing up.

But I did know that there were companies like Ferrari and Lamborghini which made some fast cars. I watched shows such as Magnum PI and Miami Vice, but didn't really pay attention to the Ferrari's in them.

In the late 1980s, I watched (and loved) Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and had no idea that the "Ferrari" was a fake.

In 1999 I actually learned about the name of a Ferrari model: the F355 Challenge, which was featured in the Sega arcade/Dreamcast game. They had a magazine ad that said: "Race the car you can't afford"

This piqued my interest. Then, I learned about other Ferrari cars and Ferrari's racing heritage.

But I had still never seen a Ferrari in the streets... until around 2002, when I was sitting in traffic in Arlington VA, and saw a Ferrari in my rear-view mirror. But.. (you're going to hate me for this), I thought it was a Saturn SC2 coupe!
Like this car here:
http://www.saturnctr.com/saturn-sc2-1994/saturn-lead.jpg (See PICTURE 1 below)

I did a double-take and recognized it as a Ferrari, and stared at it as it passed me... I saw my first Ferrari!

Having worked at AOL and MCI/Verizon near the Ferrari of Washington dealership, I got to see plenty of Ferraris in the streets and at the dealership from the F355, 360 and F430 to the Testarossa, 550/575 and the 599. I have to yet to see an F40, F50 or Enzo...

And now I actually pay attention to the Ferraris on the streets of Washington DC and northern VA, and so I see them more often every month.

Fast forward to 2006, and I actually touched my first Ferrari, when my gf's brother-in-law bought a 348 Spider and sold it shortly afterwards.
See pics here:
http://benzfanz.com/Ferrari348Spider/ (See PICTURE 2 below)

In 2007, I went to the Ferrari dealership for the first time and admired the collection of cars that they have in stock.

So... when will I get my first Ferrari? I don't know yet... but I am just on my second Benz (a 2007 SLK) and I have come a long way since my childhood in Bangladesh, so I am confident that I will own a Ferrari in my lifetime, and maybe even a couple.

(See PICTURE 3 below)

~shahedc
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PICTURE 1: When I first saw a Ferrari, I thought it was this Saturn!
PICTURE 2: My picture with the first Ferrari I actually touched.
PICTURE 3: My 2007 SLK getting its illuminated door sills installed on delivery date (Oct 2006)
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Sounds like time for a temp ban. Mods must be snoozing through this...

Nice SLK. I may be about to pick up another one (had an early SLK, since sold).

 

LOL... and you're ok with my Saturn-Ferrari mixup? :-o

Thanks.. I haven't taken it up to 155 mph yet, but I've gone quite fast in it.. umm.... I mean, I always go the speed limit, or travel with the flow of traffic.



~shahedc
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Oddly, when I first got my SLK (silver/red), that thing got an incredible amount of attention. Not as much as the Ferrari, but the vario-roof was a showstopper.

Not sure about the Saturn-Ferrari mix-up -- although I remember driving my silver Fiat X1/9 around during my senior year of high school and when I was stopped at a light someone asked (honestly) if it was a Ferrari.

I felt pretty good about that. Maybe they'll post here and say it was their first time seeing a Ferrari.

 

Which model Ferrari could you possibly have mistaken for a Saturn?

 

I don't know now.. it was in Arlington VA in the Crystal City area, on Route 1, many years ago.

I saw it in my rear view mirror, and all I saw was the hood of a coupe, with the flip-up headlights, and a vertical rectangular logo. I did a double-take and realized that it was a Ferrari after all, and I let it pass me so I could get a good look at it.

Since I didn't know the models back then, I had no idea which Ferrari it was.

BTW, I saw a yellow F355 yesterday in Tysons Corner mall (McLean VA)... anyone here know who that is?

~shahedc
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My first experience seeing a supercar in person was not a Ferrari...but a Lamborgini Contach. I was about 7 years old down in Richardson, TX and was across the street from a Target. A young man in his late 30's pulls into the Target parking lot and parks in the very last spot. Waxed and shining like crazy - in that Fiorano type red color. The scissor doors open up and he gets out and walks in.

You must remember this was back in 86 or 87 and Exotics were much more rare then than they are now.

A crowd of literally 50 people were gathered around this man's car while they were inside. Cars drove by and stopped to get a look, cars drove by - slammed on the brakes, and backed up to get a look.

After only 5 minutes the gentlemen came back, got in, gave a thumbs up to everyone and drove off.

Everyone, including myself around there just stared in awe and dreamed. They dreamed about a day when they make it big and can afford all of life's luxuries. They wondered what kind of a mansion he must be going home to, what exotic destinations he travels too when he feels a little chilly in the winter, and what kind of exciting and rewarding job he must have to be able to throw money away on a car like that and not even feel it.

Changed my life in more ways than one and ever since then I've been inspired to be that guy in the parking lot who doesn't have to worry about money.

...even if he did

 

There's been some great stories in this thread. Figured I'd pitch mine in since it was the best day of my life for over a year.

The date was February 12, 2005. It was my 13th birthday. My mom has a boss who lives in the Dallas area, and he's a big fan of Michael Schumacher, Ferraris, etc. My mom mentioned to him that I was a Ferrari fanatic. For my birthday, I went from BFE Joplin, MO to Dallas, and stayed the night at his house. He visited the local Ferrari dealership (Boardwalk) occasionally, and new part of the staff. So, I got to go to this Ferrari dealer, right after going to IHOP of course. There were Maseratis parked outside, and as great they looked, I didn't really appreciate them because I was about to see Ferraris. He first had to go inside and ask permission to just come in and look at them. He told them the situation before me and my friend who I took with me got there. So, I walked in the front doors, and BAM!!

A 1999 Fly Yellow 360 Modena was staring at me. I had the feeling that's been described elsewhere in the thread. I couldn't believe I was actually staring at a Ferrari, let alone my favorite one at that time, that I had been reading about since I got into cars in the 5th grade. It was absolutely surreal, and god was it beautiful. The saleslady (this was the only time in my life that a beautiful woman has been in my eyesight and I payed attention to something else) opened the door for me and waved her arm, as if to say, "Welcome. This is a Ferrari." So I sat in the drivers seat, marvelled in all the amazingness of that interior. The chrome gated shifter, the racy deep pedals, the smell of the leather, the view out the windshield and seeing the crackle red intake covers of the 3.6L V8 in the rearview mirrow, the sexy swollen haunches in the side mirrors, and even the gauges looked better than most cars I had seen, including the Audi I arrived in. Eventually I had to get out. There were 6 Maseratis in the building, and 3 Ferraris. 2 360's, and a 456, which I also admired. I then went to the service center, and there were 10 or 15 cars in a line, raised up so I could see under them. It was amazing. There was also a Rosso Corsa 348 that was beautiful, sitting outside the service department, waiting on its lucky owner to pick it up and take it home.

Half an hour later I was riding in a Ferrari Mondial, which was the greatest 15 minutes of my laugh. I saw so many beautiful cars that day, and it was without a doubt the best day of my life. That days title has since been taken by August 6, 2006, when I, among other things, rode in a CS around the Nordschleife. But I will never froget the day, or that yellow 360, as long as I live.

 

Can't remember the first Ferrari I ever saw but the first Ferrari I ever got to touch was an Enzo at the Ferrari Challenge at Road America a couple years ago. I guess I start big! I was walking up the hill, hot day, a little tired, the many beautiful Ferraris and Maseratis around was a great sight. As my brother and I crested the hill I could only see the front (right in front of the wheel forward). I looked at my brother and said "that isn't an Enzo, is it? Why would they have one here?" He said "I don't know, it looks like one though". We approached and to my surprise, there wasn't a crowd around it at all. It was for sale for $999,999 (odd-even pricing on a supercar?), got a thorough look-over and some very nice pictures of me with it (now the background on my cell). Absolutely breathtaking, I don't care if Kate Moss was next to it, I wouldn't have noticed. I was more than just beauty, it was beauty that I could actually feel.

First Ferrari I actually sat in was a 599 on the tour in Racine, Wisconsin last year (blue car). It took 23 years to finally sit in one but it was worth it. Amazingly fit right around my body and everything seemed totally, absolutely perfect. I couldn't get the smile off of my face for two days. Now the challenge is to get my first ride in a Ferrari!

 

You must have been laughing for quite a while then..

Wow, and you were smiling for 2 days straight!

... and who says money can't buy happiness?

~shahedc
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I wish I could remember my first Ferrari. I think I'm going to make up a story to tell.

 

My first time was only last summer.I was in Turkey and saw red/tan F430 spider ( top down) .I saw 2 more that day - silver 550 and dark grey 612.

 

Great thread!

I suspect we all remember our firsts! As for me, I was 10 and though my family wintered in Chicago, we summered on Mount Desert Island off the coast of Maine. One day, we were visiting the L.L. Bean factory in Freeport and wandering around some of the other local shops, when suddenly my life was changed forever...

A brand-new red Testarossa was parked in the back lot near where we were parked. Up until that point, cars were just a means of getting from one place to another, and nothing more. Something changed that day, much like when you first realize that you really do like the girls that you thought were icky up until then... The car stirred emotions in me in a way that nothing with wheels had until that point. I took pictures, walked around it and around it, until my parents said "I don't think the owner is going to want to adopt you, so can we go now?"

I immediately started researching the red cars, subscribed to the appropriate magazines to feed my hunger, and have managed to put myself in enough likely places to find Ferraris over the years that I think I've seen maybe half the models ever built... perhaps more... but there are so many rarities! Some highlights in my f-spotting include seeing Michael Jordan in his F40 in Elmhurst, Illinois; seeing Joe Marchetti's 330P4 at Road America, seeing a row of six red Enzo Ferraris juxtaposed against a 196SP at Cavallino in West Palm; seeing my first 250 GTO at Retromobile in Paris; seeing the 250TR and others at the Boston MFA (Lauren exhibit); and most recently, taking some fun runs in a 599 GTB and an F430 spider up in Victoria about a week and a half ago.

The passion, once ignited, burns forever. For those who understand, no explanation is necessary; for those who do not, none shall suffice.

Forza!

-Tad