Is Ferrari becoming the Corvette of exotics?

good then they will be cheap and i will buy more of them. no feathers ruffled here, its a good question. people still freak out here, and i only have a 308.

 

When I'm out in my P 3/4 I rarely come across another one.

 

Ditto for running into another Blue TR.

 

LOL...!


Tom, where are you going that you've seen 360s everyday for the last month...?!?

 

Lots of 360s, yes, the same is true here.

Other than that, I rarely see another Ferrari on the road. Maybe a 355, but never a 328 or 308 unless it's our gang gathering together.

It doesn't bother me that there's more Ferrari stuff in the world, it just makes the world a happier place. You don't expect everyone with a Yankees cap to play ball, do you?

 

Of course their (Ferrari) making more units.

There's a lot more "bling" in the world today.

Everyone wants a $6,000 TV.

Nothing wrong with marketing Ferrari

more consumers that can afford pricey toys these days

In fishing terms we call it "pressure"


just what I call a stream of conscience.......

 

I was going to suggest that perhaps you are just more aware of Ferrari's now that your into them...but then I saw your post count & join-date and realized you are anything buy new to the Italian thrill.

Would it be out of line to suggest that there are simply more and more wealthier people who can afford to blow coin on exotics AND the industry has responded by making more and more of them available?

 

I'm in San Diego and I don't see many Ferrari's, except at the Ferrari dealer and Symbolic Motors where they have a lot of 360's. I saw two 360's this week, in La Jolla last weekend. One of them was dark green, so non-car people probably wouldn't have known what it was.

There was a silver SLR parked outside the restaurant and even women were stopping to have a look. It was just menacing and sexy at the same time. A red 360 would've got similar attention. A Corvette would've been completely ignored. They really are a dime a dozen -- two secretaries in our office drive C5 coupes, and there seems to be one at every intersection. A Ferrari is still a sweet car around here. But an older TR or 308/328 is more recognizable to most people as a Ferrari.

I don't mind the logo sportswear, etc. Porsche has put its name on everything, but the cars still have cachet (even if some of the recent ones don't deserve it!) When I registered my 911 over at the DMV the woman was asking me all sorts of car questions and thought I was some kind of tycoon.

Overall though I'm more worried about Porsche selling out and making cheap cars - Boxsters are everywhere out here. Unless Ferrari does that, they're going to stay rare enough to preserve the mystique.

Maybe it's just spring/summer so there are more Ferrari's for sale than usual. In my (nice but not sickeningly rich) neighborhood, the 911 is the prestige sports car and a Ferrari is still a "holy sh^t did you see that?" kind of event.

Jon

 

Rareity???? Not in Mississippi.

 

No, I don't think Ferrari is selling out. Selling hats, shirts, scale cars and such is one thing. Getting the name out there isn't selling out.

Ferrari, noted as a cheap and easy icon such as the American Corvette is not entirely a fair comparisson. Every tall weeded yard and workshop garage is stuffed with a "Corvette". EVERYBODY has a Corvette, considering the numbers produced over Ferrari. Chevrolet started out as a car company producing your basic everyday transportation. Then, years down the road, "Oh, wouldn't it be great to make a sports car". The Corvette was an afterthought and I don't even have to tell many of you where Ferrari's roots started and WHEN they started. Secondly, you would be hard pressed to find any other company other than Porsche, that has accumulated as many championship wins. So what am I saying here, roughly that Ferrari is rooted in racing, and Corvette is rooted in 50's diners and Indy Pace cars.(ha!) You can't market that sort of heritage on a whim. The name Ferrari holds meaning in those that know where this company started. Seeing many 1980's Ferrari's and Modena's doesn't mean that Ferrari is any less trivial. Oh, some may treat it as such, but are they truly car enthusiasts or just picked up another toy? A 308 is still a Ferrari. And Ferrari still remains the envy of drivers the world over.


(This car obviously didn't mean a whole lot to its owner)
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sad, but sorta true

 

Arghh! I hope that's a kit car...

 

I highly doubt it. I rarely see Ferraris.

 

LOL, Slutmobiles are almost as rare as your P 3/4

 

Ferraris are poor performers compared to a Corvettes? Who told you that?

 

Ferraris are rolling art work nothing compares. No one builds beauty and performance in one machine. Ferraris are still very low production by comparison to almost all other marques. Jeez even my suspension bolts on my 355 have a Prancing Horse stamped on them, how COOL is that? Who builds this corvette thing anyway? I thought that was small WWII navel vessal.

 

With the 430 coming out, I'm sure the 360's are cheaper, but as someone said, we have alot more people with money, who blow it thanks to our "bling" society. As for the hats, ect., I think it's a combo of Ferrari's F-1 domination and the well-known name and brand. Every luxury brand is doing this. If you can't afford the Louis Vutton purse, you can buy the less expensive keychain. Would you rather have Ferrari make an extra 2,000-3,000 cars, or rather have them make a t-shirt for those who "desire" a Ferrari. Ferrari is both a car maker and a motorsports franchise, so they use the later the way NASCAR markets it drivers by selling merchadise.

In 10 years, the exotic market and wealth in the US will likely level off, and will make Ferraris and other exotics alittle more rare, unless they decide to go downmarket.

 

I think you're spot on. I predict that 360 Spider prices will not begin to drop signficantly until late 2006 when the 430 Spider production is in full swing.

 

Since I have an interest in both, (Ferrari and Corvette) why are we comparing apples and oranges? Would I be more accurate saying Ferrari to Corvette. First of all, the Corvette is the American sports car - meaning it has rank here in the USA. Ferrari is italian, and a world class hand made limited production piece of rolling art. Both cars can be enjoyed within their own realm. And I enjoy both of mine -

So I am just trying to say, that IMHO - yes, from a production standpoint, the Corvette is more common. But fun to drive if you like them, and require little to no attention. Ferrari's are fewer and far between. But fun to drive if you like them (and have one), and require more attention.

So pick your poison, and enjoy.

 

Caviar & wine......or chewin' tabacco & beer

Nevermind, I was just starting my grocery list....

 

I see very few Ferraris on the roads of greater Atlanta, even in the "high end" parts of town, except in the immediate vicinity of Ferrari-related events. In 8 years in Marietta, I've seen other Ferraris here exactly twice. And even at those events, 328s seem unusually uncommon; mainly I see 308s, 348s and 355s. But few, if any, 360s!

 

I've never seen a 360. I've seen one 355 and one 550. I see Porsches all the time; a Ferrari is still an extremely rare site. Have yet to see a Lambo in person.