How did you get into Ferraris?

Well, ... being Italian, it was inevitable I guess. As a kid, whenever someone asked me what I wanted for Christmas, the answer was always the same, "A Ferrari please". In my younger years I drove a bunch of little British & Italian sports cars (which I could AFFORD! - lol), but a buddy's 308 was by far, the finest car of them all. It was just SWEET. Almost bought a $25K Miura in the 80s, but got an airplane instead - THAT was a huge investment mistake. Getting my own Ferrari was long designated as demonstrating a successful retirement, but there really wasn't any timeline on it. Then last year, just for fun, I showed my wife a really pretty 360 Spider on BAT. Next thing I know, she's registered, bidding AND WON the damned thing! Great car. Absolutely love driving it. INCREDIBLE WIFE! (And she's awfully "easy on the eyes" to boot).

 

Have trouble remembering a time when I wasn't enthralled by them. Couldn't even say where it came from; my parents didn't (and still don't) get it, so wasn't from them. I grew up in the country so rarely saw them...I guess it must have been movies/TV initally (Miami Vice/Magnum PI/Vacation) but it felt almost aprioi. I had a 6' poster of a 328 above my bed, with a smaller "decisions, decisions, decions" poster with w white Countach, red 288, and white 959 on it off to the side until my teens. Rode in my first one (456) at age 27, drove my first one at 42, bought my first one (Lusso) at 43. Where I live now they're not uncommon, but I still get whiplash like a kid every time I pass one.

 

When I was in 7th grade (around 1977), a fellow had a neglected 1963 GTE 2+2 curbed for almost a year, parked out in front of his duplex. It was right across the street from my junior high, and about 2 blocks over from our house. It had "$6,500" written in shoe polish on the front windshield. My dad would drive by it every day. Finally, he walked up and offered the guy $6,000 and bought it.

The mechanicals and interior were quite good, but the floor boards were rusted through and it needed a new paint job. I told all of my friends at school that my dad had a Ferrari. This was in the days of Magnum P.I., so a Ferrari meant the 308 to teenagers. Several came by to look at the old 1963, and later would haze me at school..."That's no real Ferrari, that's just some old piece of junk." (Wonder what the 250 GTE is worth now compared to that 308???)

The sad part is, my mom won the car in their divorce, and sold it off for $3,000. It was on blocks at the time. I have forever been angry at my mom for that.

A part of me felt that I was restoring my dad's dream to eventually by the only Ferrari I could afford at the time, a 308. He loved it. I would then buy a 348. He flew to LA with me to look at it, and we bought it right there on the spot and flew home a few hours later. He was just giddy. Number one about the car, but also just about getting to see Los Angeles. He had never been to CA and wanted to do two things: 1) see the ocean, and 2) see Hollywood. We checked those boxes and about 4 hours later we were on our way back to Texas. Home in bed the same day.

My Ferraris brought true joy to my father. I wish he could see my 360 now. Sadly he was diagnosed with the dreaded Alzheimer's in mid 2010 and he slowly slipped away from me, finally passing in April 2019. Gosh I miss my dad.

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I grew up in Miami in the 80s and Ferraris were all over the place - I was immediately hooked by the sounds and amazing shapes. All this was reinforced by Magnum PI as well as Miami Vice. I used to make my mom take me to the Ferrari dealer where I’m sure I left more than a few face prints on the showroom glass.

A couple of decades later I was fortunate enough to fulfill the Ferrari ownership dream with a 308 QV. That led to a 412 5 speed (there was an amazing one near where we lived in Miami and I’ve always loved the shape), a 456 GT, and a 550 - all simultaneously... clearly an addiction. I’ve sold the 456 and a Scuderia will be next. I’m very glad I have a very understanding wife!

 

Yeah I tried that and ended up on the passenger seat of my wife's Lusso T, but it works just fine in my GTE, strange.

 

When I was in kindergarten, my teacher told us to bring something from home to read during "quiet" time.

My dad gave me a book about birds to read. My friend brought a car magazine that his dad gave him--there was a Lamborghini Countach on it with the doors up. I remember asking him if I could look at it with him. For the next week, I asked him if he would bring me one of his dad's magazines for me. He did, there was an F40 in it.

That's the moment I became hooked on Ferrari's.

 

Four key experiences:
1). Road and Track 512bb cover/road test
2). Magnum PI
3). Gum Ball Rally
4). Gilles Villenueve


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For me it was watching the 90s films Go & the Show Girls as a teenager. Maybe I liked the image of it being owned a sleazy casino manager

 

How did OP get banned? That has to be a new record.

 

Great point!

1 very good and thoughtful post, and down he goes!!!

Weird....

Kevin

 

What a great topic
For me it was 9th grade in high school my auto shop teacher was a factory trained Ferrari tech before he started teaching and he would have us working on all types of cars but it was when he would let’s us work on some of the Ferrari’s he was taking care of
After I started to work full time I always had my “toys” a few corvettes , several hot rods and Harley Davidsons but it wasn’t till 2014 when I got a Ferrari California and I will always have one the garage
I have been thinking of getting a different one but not sure I do want a 348 or 355 drove one over the summer and had a blast with it plus my son luv it too


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This. And the Magnum/Miami Vice shows. Add Cannonball Run 1 & 2 for the Lambos

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My dad used to race sports cars before I was born and when I was too young to remember. The guy who helped him with his race cars ended up involved with the Auto Palace dealership in Pittsburgh, where I grew up. (Owner? Mechanic? I don't remember) In any case, because of this, we would occasionally swing by the dealer.

During one visit, we saw a pre-owned red Ferrari 308. I'll never forget sitting in the driver's seat and looking at the gated shifter! SO Ferrari!!

I believe the price was around $35k, if I recall correctly. My dad was fairly impulsive and to this day, I am surprised he didn't buy it! But he always was an Audi guy. (His favorite being his Auto Quattro Turbo Coupe, which he owned up until the day my brother totaled it in a head on collision with a school bus....)

Kevin