The Perfect Buying Experience - Sport Auto - Steve Barney & Team

For over 8 years I've been a forum member, and during that time I've tried to buy three Ferraris myself, without the help of a broker or dealer. I thought that the "markup" that I'd pay would let me find a better car on my own. That was not my experience, and each of the cars I agreed to purchase failed my PPI exams, often at considerable expense including travel, time and aggravation.

I just completed my long search with the acquisition of a very fine machine through Steve Barney at Sport Auto. The car is exactly what I wanted, and Steve and his team provided above and beyond service to make my first Ferrari a memorable event from start to finish.

I realize that there are many excellent dealers in the Ferrari world, but for those who are looking for a high quality car, serviced by a top mechanic (Tom Jones - 30 years Ferrari experience), detailed by a skilled expert (Mark Miner) and sold by an honorable, knowledgable gentleman (Steve Barney), I recommend Sport Auto for your consideration.

I couldn't be more pleased.

 

I purchased a 2001 360 Spider, titanium/dark navy blue top and interior, with a 6 speed manual transmission.

A perfect car for my needs in every way, and as is typical for Steve, a true "no stories" automobile.

Couldn't be happier.

 

Some pictures are attached. Another example of Steve's attention to his clients - When I was chatting with Tom about the mechanical condition of the car (excellent), I mentioned that the only option that I would have liked that wasn't on the car is a challenge grill. Tom mentioned it to Steve, and Steve went out of his way to find a mint condition grill for me and installed it prior to delivery. The grill was not installed when the pictures were taken.
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Thank you Tom!!

FerrariOldMan is Tom Jones - the mechanic that helped to made sure that my "new" 360 is the dream car that I have been looking for for 30 years!! Before taking delivery Tom spent a LOT of time putting the car on a lift, showing me the ins and outs of the car, and making sure that everything was perfect before I took the car home. Every fluid was changed, and all of the work was done professionally and thoroughly.

As a crowning touch, Tom took the time to create a "dip stick" for me to measure the coolant level in the car. He carefully measured the low and high levels, marked them clearly on a dowel and showed me how to use the "tool" correctly. He also showed me the correct procedure for checking oil and reminded me about the tire pressure as well (front tire pressure is higher than the rear).

All of that after personally checking EVERY aspect of the car, and taking my wife for a ride in the car as he checked the clutch to be sure that all was properly setup for her as well. (I guess he learned that if your wife isn't happy, you may not be either).

If your mechanic does all of these things, you too are a lucky Ferrari owner. Tom went above and beyond, and for that I am very grateful - my first Ferrari ownership experience is PERFECT - and Tom, along with Steve and Mark are the reasons why.

Steve - Thanks again to the fine team you put together! They operate like a fine watch - precise and accurate. As a buyer in a very competitive market, where price is often the defining factor, the Sport Auto team is different - they realize that unless the customer is totally satisfied, they haven't fully done their job. Bravo!