Newbie question on preowned Ferrari - first time buyer

Just talk direct to the dealer with the car & be sure to let us know how you get on

 

There’s nothing wrong with talking to your local dealer and saying “Love the cars you have here, but this is the spec I’m really looking for. Do you know these guys? Can you help me check out the car, and can you help me make it happen?”

 

It certainly would cost you more to have your local dealer acquire the car for you, but then you would continue your good relationship with them. And as a bonus, they should definitely arrange a factory tour for you when you're ready!

 

My local dealer told me specifically that if there was a certain spec I was looking for in a pre-owned Ferrari to let him know.

 

Depends on the model, color, spec etc. Some cars you can get lucky, some they will know they can sell a dozen times over so you will have to pay the price shown. Trouble with Ferrari’s for sale, there are rarely enough for the market that wants them


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Absolutely do not buy it from your local Ferrari dealer and cave to their games. Honestly, I love Ferrari alot, I love my 575, but Ferrari the company/brand, they can go kick rocks as far as im concerned. I was telling the guys in the 812 subforum about this weekend. I go to my local ferrari dealer bc there is a gorgeous 812 sitting there and Ive been looking for one for months yet never seen one for sale, perfect color/spec everything I'd ever want. I walk in and my dealer knows me, I've bought multiple cars and I asked what the story was with the 812 sitting there. The owner apparently loves it so much that he doesn't want to sell it, but at the same time he doesn't want to drive it, so he leaves it sitting at the Ferrari dealer. I couldn't even believe it. That's what Ferrari cherishes as customers, guys who buy cars and treat them like sculptures, thats what the brand has become. The front engine V12 Ferraris are my favorite and im giving myself a couple months to find an 812 and not play games bc I refuse to buy a california I don't want or order a portofino I do not want just to be eligible to buy an 812 in 3 years. Hell I told my dealer I don't mind paying whatever over sticker just get me one and I get brushed off bc Im not part of the elite upper echelon of Ferrari. F that, I can go to my local lambo dealer and pick up an aventador SV right now for less money, it will hold its value better, and frankly the car looks better........but I've always loved Ferrari. What a conundrum. Ferrari and their games are so bogus and they're really losing the battle bigly in the younger demographics. Im the only one of all my exotic car buddies, we're all under 35, with a Ferrari. The others love Lambo mostly and a couple have porsche. Im the only guy with a Ferrari and my friends always tease me about it being an old man brand and the cars aren't as fast blah blah blah. It's just insane that you really don't have to play games to pick up any lambo and with Ferrari all the cars go to collectors who don't even want to drive them while the rest of us just get the shaft.

It's quite the turnoff honestly.....so please make a stand and do not play Ferraris games anymore, buy the car you like from the dealer you like.

 

This. Make sure they know to call you if/when they get a car in your spec. Have patience. If you want the car now, be prepared to pay more.

 

There is a lot of truth in your post. There is something to be said about human nature though, you often want most, what you can't get - so these 'games' do serve a purpose. I too have wondered if Ferrari is leaving too much on the table with this exclusivity approach. I've heard your same sentiments from others, and as you've said - especially with the younger crowd/new to the brand.

Today I don't look to Ferrari for the 'fastest' best 'performing' car either - for that; I would put my money on Porsche, and in the future; Tesla, if numbers at the track are your main priority. Electric will surpass ICE if you want performance overall, so even McLaren and Lambo will soon not be able to pull that card over Tesla if they don't follow electric.

I know there is a lot of skepticism about Roadster 2nd Gen, but I would not bet against Musk - he does overpromise and is always late - but he has a way of ultimately delivering what he promised (just takes a while.) Here's the other thing, even if Tesla fails - the cats out of the bag already - having shown what electric is capable of doing => sub 2 seconds 0-60 and sub 9 sec quarter.

I believe elite 'performance' will very much be commoditized in our lifetimes, and it will be about 'longer distances' ala Nurburgring that will be the remaining distinguisher, and how many people you know tear up the Nurburgring-esqe tracks often? Electric motors and batteries will only get cheaper and more efficient. I truly believe my grandkids will live in a world where 0-60 in the 1s will be achievable by 'lower' cost cars. So what does that leave the marques? Exclusivity and style once again become an important consideration. I mean after all, a Louis Vuitton bag does the same job as a bag you get from Sears, yet people still get them.

As far as folks that buy cars for sculptures instead of driving them, to each their own. Many of the 'elites' have a fleet of cars and do approach it purely from the collectible standpoint. Who am I to judge if you drop 1/2 a mill on a car or 1/2 a mill on a painting you plan to hang on the wall. Either way, it's their money, and if Ai Wei Wei had made you buy a bunch of lithographs before he would let you buy an original, it's certainly would be in his prerogative.

You also have the right to extend the middle finger and get a Jeff Koons or visit an auction house.

 

I hear what you're saying and agree in large part, but you have to consider some things. It's all supply and demand. A car like the 812 is heavily in demand and there is very little supply. I can't blame a dealer. Your statement, "I do not want just to be eligible to buy an 812 in 3 years. Hell I told my dealer I don't mind paying whatever over sticker just get me one and I get brushed off bc Im not part of the elite upper echelon of Ferrari" misses the point. Most likely that dealer has customers who have purchased multiple Ferraris over decades. What are they supposed to do, tell them to pound sand so they can sell you, a customer who has never purchased a car from them, an 812? I don't think that would be prudent business on their part.

Imagine you own a dealership and a customer who over the years has purchased 5 Ferraris from you and had them serviced at your dealership and you tell him I can't sell you an 812 because this brand new customer came in and offered me "whatever over sticker", so I sold it to him. Got it?

 

All depends on if you are wanting to establish a relationship on the Ferrari side of the company. ( Do you want to set yourself up for a new car purchase in the future )
If you do not, then you can purchase freely from anywhere that has the car / spec you want. Even if its another Ferrari Dealership.

S

 

Just curious, what " games " is the OP falling into? He was simply asking if he could purchase a used Ferrari out of his market.

The answer is yes. No games there...

You want an 812 , you just want one that for sale..... so, if a $420k sticker came available for $620k , you'd buy it on the spot? Or are you trying to circumvent supply and demand?

There's a reason you one go to a Lamborghini dealership and get a new car at MSRP , most of the time even discounted... but whatever floats your boat. < Shrug >

I'm thinking you purchased your Ferrari because you appreciate the brand and enjoy the finer things in life... among other reasons.

Let the others poke fun, you are still the owner with a Ferrari in the garage!

FWIW , I hear you and actually understand your position , I have no dog in this hunt, I don't sell Ferrari's ... I will however Service any Ferrari regardless where it came from .. .LOL

GL in your search!

S

 

Im not telling them to let me skip the line for free, im willing to pay well over sticker. The thing is they have one sitting there, the owner apparently doesn't even want the damn thing at his house bc its so disgusting or something so he leaves it at the dealer lol and at the same time he doesn't want to sell it or perhaps he's not allowed to? I don't know bc others on the 812 subforum have said they've been offered cars for $50-70k over sticker. Either way I have no issue paying the $50-70k over, but my dealer acts like its impossible to find one apparently and the one thats there in their showroom is just in no mans land bc the owner doesn't wanna drive it or look at it, but he also wants nobody else to drive it. Just a big lol all around man. All Im saying is there's alot of wealth in this world today and there are some damn awesome options when you get into that $400-600k range of cars. I love Ferrari but Im not gonna beat a dead horse forever, ive been searching for months, if I can't get an 812 soon I guess I will have to settle on an aventador SV which is rarer, faster, and holds its value better.....the horror..... but for me I've always been a Ferrari fan, the brand was always classier to me and Lambo was always more for rappers and athletes but truth be told the Lambo dealer here is very easy to work with, cars are easy to find, and the sales people aren't pretentious with their heads in the clouds........so all Im saying is Ferrari better watch out bc the younger crowd is being neglected and they're going to other brands while these old collectors get all the new Ferraris and many are just showpieces being parked......what happens if this continues another 40 years and all the collectors die and the entire younger generation of would be ferrari owners are fans of lamborghini,mclaren, and porsche?

 

I totally sympathize, but in the end sounds like you won't/can't get the 812 and in your own words 'settle' for the Aventador SV. I think that's the point of the game they play.