Remembering FAF

When I went to pick up my 355 in '98 and went into the industrial area I thought I made a wrong turn. The concrete batch plant had water and cement on the road as I made my way to get my car. I was wondering where the hell I was going to pick up a brand new car for 140k. I asked Steven "Does Ferrari know you guys are here?" I'm still laughing about it. Actually I got to really love the place.

 

I have a a cover just like that ... for my 328... with fitted mirror pockets

 

That picture of me in the 308 with Ric back in 86 (post number 24):

I remember him telling me when we turned back on that little stretch of road on the way back that they sometimes try to see if they can get 4 times the speed limit before the dead end (he may have said 5 times, not 100% sure now almost 30 years later). He told me the 8's can't do it but the 12's can.. I think the speed limit sign read 25mph.

Fun times

 

Great thread, I remember both the gentlemen very well. Where are they today?

 

Steve is alive and well and working at Motorcar Gallery in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Motorcar Gallery

 

I think Fred passed away a little while back

 

That's good to hear.. down there hanging with Ed Waterman whom I constantly blame for my exotic car obsession!

Thanks for the update and sorry to hear that Fred is gone. He was always fun to talk and trade literature with. I remember he also had a very nice 280SL that he was so proud of. RIP.

Thx

 

Some old shirts that I found in the Attic the other day. Stve Ahlgrim gave them to me back in the 80's.
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I had several of the red ones made for myself about 10 years ago by a friend who had a side business making t-shirts. I had an old one he used as a templet or something, however they do it. Can't tell the difference.

I always thought they looked really cool. Never saw a blue one before.

 

pretty cool thread. my red '87 328 GTS was originally purchased at faf long before I got it. still had one of the key chains but it has since disintegrated.

 

Griswold Co had shirts styled after the prewar Alfa Romeo Grand Prix mechanics shirts. We had red for the customers and the blue we saved for employees.

 

Huh. My 328 was originally sold in the DC area. ("American Service Center", before it switched to Mercedes.)
It spent nine years in Illinois, and another two in Boston, before I bought it.
Eventually, I moved it back to Virginia.

But somewhere along the line, it picked up an FAF car cover.

(I haven't used the cover in 10 years, since the office has underground parking with so much concrete dust that I'm afraid to put a cover over the grit. But I still have the cover.)

 

"American Service Center", has always been Mercedes.. you mean before it gave up the Ferrari franchise...

And I'll take that cover if you ever want to get rid of it.

 

I got one too...for a 308, but fits the 328.

 

I think my dad still has a couple of these covers around the house. I know he had a cover for 512BBi, 86 Testarossa, and 88 Testarossa I will have to see if they are still at the house.

 

I cant believe I don't know this, but what does FAF actually mean?

Factory Authorized Ferrari? Ferrari alfa, Fiat? I've heard a bunch of stories....

 

Ferrari All Ferrari

 

Fantastically Awesome Ferrari

 

Ferrari Alfa Fiat...

 

I always thought that too but then I found an old sales brochure from them and it stated that FAF meant "Factory Authorized Ferrari"

 

I have a bunch of old Ferrari stuff and happen to find this last week.
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FAF Car cover on Ebay, no affiliation, I just thought someone might want to pick it up for memories sake or if they purchased their car there.
Alden

Vintage FERRARI Used Silver OUTDOOR CAR COVER by FAF # 536 w/Prancing Horse Logo | eBay

 

I happened to be up at the FOA around the holidays, and they were cleaning out some records, and they had an entire stack of old FaF and early FOA catalogs. the one thing that was so funny - and I mean this with no disrespect, is that Harold "the parts guy" was the model in a lot of the T shirt ads, and jackets! He's certainly Model built being so thin! .. there was even one for a Ferrari cut off shirt!!! then Harold actually came walking by... and anyone who knows him .. he was mortified, but took it all in with pride. He's a good egg!!!

its just so funny how back in the day some of the things you would never buy, and today they are in high demand!!!

 

FAF is an interesting story. Gerald Roush once took me by the old building, which was still there in 2004, and told me the whole story. Wish I had thought to have a recorder or something. Now, the story is gone forever.

 

After seeing them in DuPont my first road trip when I turned 16 was to the dealership. This was in May of 1989. I had ridden in a few Ferrari's before then at my aunt's place in Miami but had never visited a dealership. Ric and the guys were so nice and welcoming. Plus they were shocked a 16 year old kid drove over 150 miles one way to visit them on a Saturday in a 1968 Mustang GT convertible that my dad and I got back on the road after someone abused it to no end. Guess not many 16 year old kids drove 4 speed big block drop tops in the ATL back then. Even though they knew I was a kid they still treated me like a customer and that has always stuck with me through the years. Even after getting in the business in the early 2000's.