Opinion on Higher vs Lower Mileage 328's

It's tough to say... As these cars age, the number of truly low-mileage examples decreases. As the price for those cars also falls, the number of people who've "always wanted a Ferrari" can finally afford the dreamcar of their childhood. You can bet your butt that they're going to drive that car, and the cycle continues!

I think that there's a buyer out there for every car - as a seller, you just have to be patient. My GT4 just turned 81k miles, and I'm sure I'll be able to sell it some day.

There's a guy down in Santa Barbara with a 246 GTS with over 180k miles on his car (possibly more now), and I'd buy it in a second if it were in my pricerange and the timing was right.

 

In 1997 I bought a 328 with 33K miles (high for the time). It was a great car. In 2001 I bought a 328 with 7K miles. It has (and still is) great. 328's don't seem to suffer from low mileage syndrome as much as some other models. I know of some that were sold with just a few 100 miles on them and owners have not reported any particular problems. The more they are used, the more small things will need attention, but a well cared for 65K 328 should still be a terrific, fairly reliable car. Putting 15K on a low mileage car will depreciate it more than on a high mileage car but you are likely to pay more for upkeep. People who can afford the upfront cost will more likely opt for the lower mileage car, but there are people who can afford no more than 35K and a higher mileage but well cared for car should be just right for them.

Dave

 

Who knows? All I can say is make absolutely sure that if you are paying a premium for low mileage, that there is a good paper trail of documents to prove it. There are some people that drive with disconnected speedos....

 

86K on my 328 GTS and it is in far better shape than the Mondial8 with 30K miles that my friend bought.

In reality the difference is in the margins of the normal buy/sell negotiation arena. Find someone with a great car who needs to sell, negotiate well, and you're in great shape no matter what the mileage. You can easily get a lower mileage car in great shape for at or near the price of a sruffy older car if you know where to look and how to negotiate. It takes time, but you can wind up with a great car at a great price.

Quite honestly, the only perceptable break in asking prices for 328s seems to come above 50,000 miles. Let's face it, you can do as much damage in 10,000 miles as you can in 60,000. 30K, 60K and 90K are all pretty much the same to a 328, because most of the consumable parts will probably be requiring replacement due to time, rather than mileage.

 

For people who know - like many of us around here - 50K is nothing. In fact, it is really getting to a point in time where 50 is too low. A well maintained 3X8 is bullet proof case closed.

 

from the research i did and the mindset i was in as a buyer a couple of months ago, i would say 30k it the cutoff point. so, in your scenario, the 40 k car would not have the same premium spread.

 

True, but the market is based on some presumed average amount of wear and tear over x miles. In other words, it assumes that a 328 with 15K miles has more life left than one with 50K miles (the "life" referring to the engine), even if the reality is that the 15K car spent its life at Jiffy Lube and the 50K car was expertly driven and maintained. So, buy carefully with higher mileage cars. Even the good ones are worth less.

It's interesting, because "low mileage" is age-dependent. At some point, a 328 with 6000 miles on it is going to be downright bizarre and 30K miles will be "low".

I agree, as of right now, although to Dr. Tommy's point I'd say that number will be heading north.

I'm not in the market for another Ferrari right now (happily married to mine), but I occasionally cruise over to sites like Motorcars, Sport Auto, Boston Sports Cars, and some of the Ferrari dealers to see what kind of F-cars they have listed. You'll see that Motorcars, which seems to cherry pick cars (and price them at a premium) has started listing 328s with mileage up to 30K. Not a scientific study by any stretch, but I think you can get a feel for the cutoff by seeing what some of these sellers are willing to add to inventory.