Hi guys, how's it going? I'm not a Ferrari owner (yet), but do love the cars. Hope to own a 360 (or 430) a few years down the line if all goes well I do have one question concerning a comment I read in another thread: "What's the resale on one of those? I'd imagine MUCH worse than any Fcar, even the 550." Which brings me to the resale value of the 550. I took a quick look at second hand 550's on sale in Switzerland, and to my great surprise, the car was usually cheaper then a 360 by a good 10-20k swiss francs! And I found this quite weird, because after all it has a larger V12 engine, looks to be quite luxurious, more power, etc... etc... so how come it sheds price so agressive compared to some other Ferrari's such as the 360? Is this car not as desirable, or does it have some particular 'fault' that makes people sell them at such a loss (I mean, with approximately 50k km's, the price of the car is nearly a third of the original value. That's quite a drop!). If anybody cares to enlighten me, this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
it's nothing but the vagaraies (sp) of the market. it's a great car. solid. reliable. fast. comfortable. there's very little to fault it for. but it's been beaten up. some folks don't like the return to front-engine. some folks don't dig the styling. very subjective stuff. it's a steal for the money, imo. doody.
Ah, ok. I quite like front engined cars (I have an MB SLK 55 AMG at the moment), but the 360 is still the one I lust for. However, I was really surprised at the cost of the 550, especially one of them which is selling for the incredibly low price of 70,000chf with about 20k miles on it (1999, in red). Sounds a bit too good to be true... and I'd love to get it right there and then, but alas, it won't be until a few years later that I could possibly get a new car. Well, thanks for the info! Cheers
I think the comment regarding the 550's resale value being horrible is a reflection of its current "market" price vs. its original MSRP...especially when compared to similar vintage 360's. However, l Believe the 550 to be the best Ferrari "value" out there...if its the type of car you are looking for...ie, frt engine,v12,GT. The 456 is even more depreciated, but its a four seater...if thats something you'd consider, its an even better "bargain" Im only speculating, but I feel the Ferrari "image" has been somehow connected to the mid engined V8 models over the last few years....a younger, hipper image associated with the traditional buyers of this model type...while the 550/456 has been associated with the traditional purchasers of the v12 type....older, established guys. Make some sense? Who cares why, really. Like Doody, I consider the car to be a steal for the money...there IS a reason why Ferrari charged so much more (MSRP wise) for it than a comparable 360.The feel is luxurious, the torque invigorating, the styling sublime...I love it! And all that matters is...drive both and see which you prefer. If you apprecaite the 550 package, you end up saving a bundle....cant complain about that! Goldy
As years go by that will change. In the mid 70s a 308 cost more than a Datona too. But, since the Daytona was a 12 cylinder Ferrari and much rarer, it now cost 6+ times as much as a 308. IMHO, the same thing will happen to the rarer 550/575 in the future as compared to the mass produced 360/430 series.
I think you answered your own question. More buyers "lust" for the 360/430 than "lust" for the 550/575. Even though the 550/575 has more value (higher cost of the V12 and interior quality) and lower production, those are outweighed by the far higher population of the 360/430 fans (at least today, 20 years later ... ?). I considered a 550/575 at one point, before opting for a Challenge Stradale. I really liked the low-end torque, interior and subdued styling of the Maranello. I thought it was a car I could drive more often. At the same time, a CS or 430 should be faster and better handling, it's just that you have to rev them more (though the 430 should have better low-end torque than the 360, so that might no longer be true) to get the performance. Considering how much I like the sound of the engine revving, that didn't seem like a real disadvantage . Ferrari seems to have moved the V-12 line into the GT category and V-8 line into the performance/track category. Since the latter resonates more with its roots (at least how the cars were used vs how many cylinders they typically had), more people seem to like the V-8s now.
Early 550's have or are about to bottom out, so you really can't get too hurt on the car. My guess is that regular 360 prices will pancake once the 430 is out in full force simply because they made so many.
The 360/430 are better cars. They accelerate almost as quickly, especially down low where everyone drives them, and they are far more agile. Because they are quite a bit larger than their predecessors, they are almost as comfortable as the 12 cylinder cars. What that adds up to is they are a better value than a 550/575. Myabe that will change over time, but I don't think so. Art
supply and demand makes sense here because every non-owner i've ever talked to picks a 355 or 360 out as the ferrari for them if they could choose any on the showroom floor. i'm usually the sole guy lusting after the long hood ones-- the rear engined ones do nothing for me. ah well, go figure? it's good to be different!
From what I've seen, buying a 360 (now 430) doesn't mean that there's no depreciation; it just means that the depreciation starts from a value well-above the MSRP. Since valuation charts compare to MSRP, it makes it look like these cars don't depreciate. But, only the original owners privileged to be on the delivery list of their local F-car dealer got the benefit of no depreciation. For a lot of owners (those who bought an early 360 above $200K and now see them heading below $150K), there has actually been consistent depreciation of market value, perhaps $15-20K per year. Whether V-8 or V-12, most new F-car owners are holding on to a depreciating asset. Only special edition (Enzo, F40, F50) or "golden age" cars seem to appreciate significantly, while "classic cars" (10-30 years old) seem to sustain a price-level consistent within their hierarchy so long as they're maintained.
No argument as to more agile, after all, its comparing a go-cart sports car to a GT cruiser. But "almost as quickly" sounds to me like "not as quick as"....and "almost as comfortable" sounds like "not as comfortable". This is leaving other issues such as reliability/build quality and exclusivity aside. Most Ferrari service managers would agree that the 550 is an overall better built and more reliable car than the 360...and as far as exclusivity is concerned, the numbers speak for themselves. There is also the matter as to practicality/use as a daily driver...but most modern day F-cars are as practical as one could hope for, considering their performance and looks...I'll call it a draw. Don't get me wrong, I love the 360, its a hell of a sports car...but you are expressing a matter of opinion and personal preference as unequivical fact. I would think that they are both worthy representatives of their respective Ferrari lines, and their true "worth" is best judged by those who purchase them based on their own preferences.
Well said: I got extensive seat time in both before deciding on the 550. Certainly a lower-key car visually and aurally, but it appealed to me thru its really timeless styling, its understated elegance and the incredible grunt through the entire rev range. One car "better" than the other? Why would FERRARI PURPOSELY make one car WORSE than the other? It's a matter of taste and style and luckily for us, Ferrari makes a range of cars that appeals to many different people with different wants (I'm not going to say "needs" as no one really "needs" a Ferrari). I celebrate them all- but I'll keep my 550.
Very different customer segment as well IMO. Virtually all V8s I've seen around here are mint while most 550s are either garage queens or poorly taken care of and neglected. V12s seem to appeal to a category of people who can fork out 300KCHF with a shrug, take huge depreciation hits a couple of years after, and who only buy new. 456s are even worse than 550s, a bit more rare but nobody wants them. V8s epitomize the Ferrari cliché, that's why I'd speculate that they represent a large proportion of first "used Ferrari" purchases. I also believe that, as drivable as a 550 is, it's a lot more intimidating than a 355 or 360. A Maranello looks and feels like a handful.
He forgot to add the "In my opinion".... In my opinion, the 550 is a better car than the 360. It depends on what you want out of your car.
While we're on the topic what's the cheapest 550's go for. I'm talking a high mileage early model 550. I've seen a few for $80-90k don't know if they were legit but if this is the case it's a bargain for 12cylinders.
High-mileage Ferrari V-12's aren't necessarily bargains. Cost of engine maintenance is 1.5x just by number of cylinders. Sheehan has an interesting article discussing how quickly things multiply up (e.g. 4 valves x 12 cylinders = 48 x $$, etc). http://www.ferraris-online.com/Articles/SCM_9812.shtml
When compared to other boy racer Ferrari's, the 550 takes a back seat for some reason...it is fast, comfortable, and has massive acceleration. The styling just isn't as in-your-face like the 348, 355, 360 and 430. Whenever you see a 550 on the road, its guaranteed an older man will be driving it. From what I hear it also costs more to maintain because of its 12 cylinders. It just doesn't appeal to the masses in terms of styling, I guess. Alot of people dont seem to like the switch to front-engine V12.
Of course the maintenance will be more but I mean the initial price is a bargain. If you're saying I can get a 550 for $70-80k you can bet my Maserati is going up for sale.
After owning both a 360 coupe and spider, before buying a 575, in my humble opinion the 575 is a far better machine in almost every way.
