FoW Sold?

HELL NO!!!!

 

man, everything is consolidating. soon there will be one bank and one ferrari dealership owner.

 

Thanks. Someone mentioned he was a west coast dealer and I thought it might be Roger Penske.

 

What does he own Ferrari shop wise other than the Vegas store?

 

Anyone know the official turn over date???


Happy New Year Everyone!!



Robert

 

"Anyone know the official turn over date???"


I believe it just turned over.

 

Largest Ferrari dealer in the world. Vegas, Scottsdale, Central NJ. 2 stores in Germany and 2 in the UK.

 

I wonder if they had a secret swearing in ceremony at midnight with the dropping of a crystal lit hydrolic lift and backfire noise from the challege cars.

 

"Watch this space"

 

WoW!!! Had no idea... He must gots big monies!!!

 

The Bill Story and Roger Penske comments are getting confused, I think.

 

Roger Penske does have some big monies. Estimated to be around $2 billion.
- http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/R98C.html

Here is his bio. Supposedly a super guy and great at business too.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Penske

And here is a picture of his Gulfstream G150 jet.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

The Penske Automotive Group is the 2nd largest with over 300 Dealerships.

 

"The Penske Automotive Group is the 2nd largest with over 300 Dealerships."

And, just to be clear, has nothing to do with FoW. Just don't want to start a rumor that Penske acquired FoW.

 

AND...Roger Penske has exclusive import rights for the MB Smart car.

I ordered the Smart4Two Carbriolet for my wife for Xmas because she says they're "cute" and she would drive one )

I *might* have to name it Luigi, Jr. WetPet!

smart USA Distributor LLC
1765 S. Telegraph Rd.
Bloomfield, MI 48302

1.800.smart.USA
www.smartusa.com

 

Anyone know who is left in Service Department - I see that Glenn still runs it.

Rob

 

Brian McKeown still in service, Peter Brandt still in parts, best of all Mary Curtis is still the dragon lady who takes the big checks!

 

I hear through the grapevine that the FoW changeover will occur in a couple weeks, and didn't happen on the first as I'd thought.

I hope we'll know when turnover occurs because the new owner will make a public announcement, reach out to existing customers and, most important, hold a massive February "twofer" sale.

 

Was a little curious that the newsletter made no mention of the change over. Would have been a perfect way, and a perfect time to reach out. In the margins, all the old "names" were still listed, even though they don't work there any more. I thought this was a bit odd.

Some customers I know have received a call... so some type of transition is going on.

Brian in Service (over from the race team) has been nothing but fantastic to me. He was put there to turn around the service department reputation. My experience with him as a professional and a person has been nothing short of impressive... from my point of view.

I have been to Ferrari of San Diego. I would say "sterile" is probably a word that comes to mind. Not overly warm or friendly. Every time I have been there (I will admit usually while visiting my sister over Thanksgiving) there has never been more than 1 sales person. I guess they run lean and mean... which might be required in this day and age when you sell 25 cars a year.

 

I spoke to some people at FoW last week and they seemed excited about the new possibilities.

As far as I know, Brian will still be in Service (the most important customer facing position IMO). He has been great and I hope he stays, I would follow him to another destination.

There is a chance that the new group will use the FoW raceshop to run their teams.

I am sad to see Augie go. I had not heard about Ralph, he was an institution, but that is sad as well. However, I think we should give everyone the benefit of the doubt and see how things play out.

The dealership seems to have been in a no win situation. They get criticized for their behavior/performance for status quo and then blasted for a shakeup. I am sure Competitione is great but I live in Ashburn and I use my car as a daily driver. Gaithersburg is not an option.

best,
dsd

 

"Was a little curious that the newsletter made no mention of the change over. Would have been a perfect way, and a perfect time to reach out. In the margins, all the old "names" were still listed, even though they don't work there any more. I thought this was a bit odd."

John: Time and the rapidity of change conspire against the newsletter editor (me, in this case). There is as much as a two-week lag between final layout of the newsletter and its distribution, or was when we last distributed in hardcopy (Nov-Dec). It is that issue you refer to, I believe. That was laid out in late October. So naturally, the employee roster did not reflect the personnel cuts. The current (Jan) newsletter is more up to date.

As for avoiding mention of the sale, we are not at liberty to talk about it during the due diligence phase, which continues still. Viewed another way, the situation is like the problem Obama faces, where the country can't have two presidents at the same time.

Finally, on behalf of the new owner, I ask for the community's forbearance during this time of confusion. Allie is a great guy, and his warm embrace will surely be missed. But as I said in my first newsletter for the dealership almost two years ago, in change is opportunity. Please give the new FoW a chance to earn your trust and friendship.

Neil S.

 

Thanks, Neil. Good feedback. We anxiously await some information when the time is appropriate. Maybe even an open house/meet and greet! Good to hear from someone on the "inside".

 

Wow, I'm a bit slow catching up to the whole FOW ownership situation. Its unfortunate all of this has happened over the Christmas break. Its gonna be a bit wierd walking into FOW now and not seeing those familiar faces of people who can share your passion with you in the same way. I wish everyone who worked there, the best of luck. I'm sure the new owner will continue to keep the standards of what makes the Ferrari community so great of being a part of. I also hope I can catch some of you all at a another get together sometime before I head to Japan for two years. I miss you guys!!!

 

Heard thru the grape-vine from a reliable source that the FULL accounting staff at FOW was let go!!!!!!!!!


I feel really bad for MAry, probably one of the sweetest, nicest, people up there!! That place is sooooooo toast!!



Robert

 

Bill Story is the "Sweat Equity" partner, not the "money man" behind the new ownership. Very interestingly, he was, at one time, a mechanic at American Service Center when they had the Ferrari franchise!
How many of us remember when the Heishman Porsche Audi BMW store had the Ferrari franchise on Rt.1 south of the Pentagon/Crystal City? They sold it to ASC!
I have verified that the entire accounting staff has been told that their "services are no longer wanted" by the new owners; as far as I know, Mary Curtis is still employed at FOW. (At least the new owners did something right- keeping the one individual who was the reason the store operated as well as it did.)

As a former employee of FOW, my heart goes out to all who have been "let go" and unceremoniously so: essentially: "Good Bye! See you later, and don't let the door hit you in the derrier on the way out!"
The car business, at every level, has some very brutal realities in its corporate culture.

What kind of an idiot would let Ralph Cestero go? Sean Hahn? Redding?

I am still in shock. The very least the new ownership could have done was to have evaluated the long-term and dedicated employees who devoted their lives and energies to making FOW work for so many of us, and then decided who they wanted to replace with others.
It is not over yet!