What compelled you to buy your first Ferrari?

Why? After years of hard work I am finally in a position to spend what it takes and find myself questioning why I actually want the car. Going fast? Prestige and status? Or just because you can and the other guy cannot?

Sounds goofy, but I would really like to know.

 

I grew up watching Magnum and Miami Vice when I was a young boy.

I LOVED Ferraris, any Ferrari! I didn't have many Ferrari toy cars as they were hard to get here back in the day, but I loved the Ferrari cars I had.

I always told my Mum and Dad I was going to buy a Ferrari one day when I grew up. They both laughed at me of course.

When I was old enough to have one insured, I pulled the trigger on my 348. I looked for around 12 months to find my car, it was worth the wait.

I absolutely love it and will never sell it.
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I always liked sports cars and thought Ferraris were stunningly beautiful with an unmatched cool factor even if the performance could be matched with far less money. The exclusive factor was a plus. I knew that there would be a learning curve and was mentally prepared for a letdown. Twenty years later, I have no regrets. I've owned 8 and currently have a 2005 430 I bought new. The car is still a beast and an "experience" to drive.

I should note that I've seen many people take the plunge and just not enjoy it. Some were expecting a Lexus experience. Some were put off by the cost of maintenance. Some couldn't take all the attention which is a definite minus in my mind as well. Others like the attention. The only way to find out how you will like it or not is to dive in.

Dave

 

Agree

 

For me it is about the passion of the automobile and Ferrari is the purest and most emotional expression of it. A wonderful combination of art, beauty and power. These are not race cars so speed on the street is as irrelevant as what others think of my ownership. But it does sound goofy to ask why you yourself want to buy a Ferrari.

 

Race heritage. The entrepreneurial spirit of Enzo. The smell of a vintage sports GT. The fun of an analog car, even at paltry bhp numbers, you can't NOT smile when your flying through turns. The looks. The history.

Oh, and I made a ridiculous offer I never thought would be accepted...That was a fun one to explain to my wife

Best wishes in your endeavor whichever way you go.

 

I was awestruck as a child, and I wanted to have that feeling again.


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The funny thing is I wasn't a big Ferrari guy but the spark that started it for me was looking at the engine bay of a Maserati Coupe. Just seeing that beautiful air intake along with the red valve covers got me. I then went home and started looking into those and that led to me looking at Ferraris.

I started dreaming about owning one about 2 years ago and would save up a bit every month. Now I have a 355

Growing up I had a large Testarossa toy so I'm thinking I might have to fulfill that fantasy one day.

 

I was given a "Dinky" toy car in red for my 6th birthday. I loved that car. I learned later it was a model of the 250 LM.

At 12, I was spending hours making Tamiya models of glorious Ferrari Forumla 1.

At 16, I saw a black 308 GTB sitting outside a top hotel wondering if anything could be more beautiful, and more out of reach.

At 29, I started my own business and at 39, I finally managed to buy my first Ferrari, a one year old 550 Maranello with FHP. Some years later and I've added a few more famous Ferrari to the stable but my 550 remains, and she will always be that little bit special.

What compelled me to buy my first Ferrari? A deep desire for the marque that became part of my life long before I knew what is Ferrari.

 

You own some amazing Ferraris man, thanks for sharing.

 

That's great to hear man, congrats.

I saved the cash by working 12 hr shifts, 7 days a week for just over 12 months to get the money to buy my 348.

When you work that much, you don't spend any money so it was quite easy to come up with the cash to buy the car.

I probably should have put that money towards some investments and if I did, I would be probably be driving a used 458 now.

But I don't regret my decision one bit as I wanted a 348 and I have loved my Ferrari ownership over the last 11+ years.

 

In the mid 70's i found myself doing all kinds of extra part time jobs to finance my foray into F Ford,pumping gas,working in pubs,car jockey at a 'cracking' casino in London etc etc.

Anyhow one saturday evening in '76 the Sultan and his entourage rolled up outside the casino at around midnight ..about 10 cars double parked right in the middle of Piccadilly (center of London)bringing the traffic to a standstill. Think Aston Martin,Jags ,Rolls Royce,Porsche etc and a Ferrari.

As there were no parking spaces right outside the hotel/casino we 'had' to take the cars around the block to a secure underground parking.I ended up in the 308 and we all set off down Piccadilly,around Hyde Park corner,up Park Lane,around Marble Arch,then (ahem) back down Park lane around Hyde Park (again) then on past Buckingham Palace and back to the secure parking behind the Casino.... ( Camlet 1 probably knows the route?) it was raining quite hard and it took me a little while to find out how the lights /wipers etc worked lol.

That was my first time in a Ferrari ,it was brand new, probably a Vetro. Although i was into F1 as a Ferrari fan the thought of actually owning one was a very very distant dream (I was driving a beat up Cortina at the time).The manager of the casino,David Gray bought a really nice dark blue 308 GT4 which i had the privilege of parking quite a few times.

Did a bit of racing but ran out of talent/money after around 10 years. Then life went on, buying a house,learn to fly etc etc,the usual stuff.

I never forgot those days, and after the crash in the late eighties I found my self with just enough savings to buy my '77 308 GTB.When we go for a drive i often think back to that day almost 40 years ago.

PS one of my colleagues managed to spin the Aston V8 going round Hyde Park corner for the second time (in the wet ),unfortunately a friend of the Sultan recognised the car ...but that's another story altogether!

 

Since I first got my license I have been into sports cars, English mostly, Austin Healy, MG, Jag. About 3 years into my first full time job I was able to buy a 10 year old Miura. Enjoyed that car for almost 30 years until the frame rusted to the point it was not drivable. Previous owner had undercoated the body and that had trapped the moisture and destroyed the frame. I didn't realize it until it was too late. Too many of the parts were becoming unobtainable and I didn't want to deal with the time and cost of a full restoration. So I sold the Miura and I was able to buy a '01 550. I find the 550 to be an awesome machine that does everything better than the Miura did. The 550 has an elegant beauty to it that I prefer to some of the more 'in your face' styles of some other cars. I suspect I will be keeping the 550 until I can't drive it any more.

 

Simple, I have been passionate about all cars since a toddler. I have owned all of my dream cars at this point. As I discover new dream cars I keep going back to F cars for The exotic Styling and the exiting exhaust notes.

 

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I've loved, and owned, guns, motorcycles, and sports cars since I became conscious of them; don't be the rich guy with expensive toys that is not an enthusiast, that's lame. Put your money where your passion is, not where you think the crowd wants you to go.

 

Age 35, had a Porsche 944, and drove a 1975 Dino GT4 with 90K miles on it. Engine had been rebuilt, paint and interior just OK, but what CHARACTER. Traded straight across and never looked back. I've always appreciated cars & bikes with character, for lack of a better word. Now, nearly 30 years later, and having owned 8 Ferraris, they still invoke an excitement not found in other cars.

 

Thanks! And thanks for helping make FChat a class above the rest.

 

I bought because of the hype.

I think a good analogy would be comparing Ferrari to American celebrities. They're portrayed as beautiful physically, ideal personalities and materially rich but in reality ugly, cranky, obnoxious and even smelly.

 

Tubbs and Crockett.

 

Magnum pi. Took 30 years, but finally got one.

 

I have wanted one since I was 14 or so, I think it was a Road and Track article on the BB. Maybe a bucket list item or something like that.

Also, when I like something I tend to go "all in:"

Cars = Ferrari
Guns = Class 3
Flying = pilot's license
Horses = show champions
Dogs = same as horses
Cats = (My Wife bought some damn expensive cats, for God's sake! Actually made it easier to sell her on the Ferrari purchase, lol!)

I am also "one of the best" at what I do for a living.

I never really knew that owning a Ferrari would be so wonderful. The car, the people, the travel. It really is a great addition to our lifestyle.

Ownership snobbery? Not for me. A guy complimented me on my "Fiero" the other day, I just told him, "Thanks, it is a great car."
Alden

 

When I was a little kid my family went to an auto show (Lords knows why as my folks were not car people) and I saw my first Ferrari – a red 250 Testa Rossa Pontoon. It just knocked me out I had never seen a car so beautiful and the image always stuck with me.
Fast forward to 1973 when I was looking at purchasing another 911 Porsche or a Dino (again I thought it was gorgeous) at a Ferrari dealer in Santa Barbara. I was allowed to sit in the Dino but I just didn’t fit and be able to drive conformably. So I gave up on Ferrari, as a Dino was all I could afford and bought my second 911 Porsche and then just stuck with the Porsche brand threw many cars while always admiring Ferrari.
Again fast forward to 2005 and had some time to kill in Scottsdale, deciding to do it in the local Ferrari dealership. They had a 360 and a 550 I was allowed to get in and check out the vehicles. I was surprised that I could fit in both which kindled my thoughts of owning a Ferrari again. But I got sidetracked and forgot about them until I had both kids through college.
Then a couple of years ago I saw the 612 and 599 again rekindled my Ferrari appetite. I started a searching and doing research on both cars for about 15 months finally deciding on a ‘08 612 OTO car with low miles and became an owner last summer. A lifelong dream finally fulfilled.

 

If I had it to do over again...I wouldn't. The only reason I haven't sold my Ferrari is because my wife insists we keep it. Even my two sons have started to suggest we get something newer and more reliable.

I think in 4+ years of ownership it's managed to suffer some malady about once every six months. Bad ignition switch, bad distributor (3x), headlights don't work...it's been trailered more times than I can count. I swear the car has a curse on it.

 

If I want a reliable car I would by a Toyota. If I want a nice car I would buy a Lexus. If I wanted a fast sports car I could buy a nice Porsche or Mercedes. If I really wanted the fastest 0 to 60, I would buy a Tesla. If I want an exotic (low volume), you are looking at Bentley, Aston Martin, Maserati, Ferrari etc.. Of course there are many more exotic cars.

I always wanted a Ferrari. I got to a point I could buy my dream car. I drove a Bentley, Aston Martin, Maserati, Mercedes... All beautiful cars, but none had the Ferrari heritage.

My wife would not ride in a car that is too loud (looks and sound). I wanted new technology. I looked at California T. Not too loud (looks or sound) and had lots of cool technology. Stopped searching and bought my first Ferrari.

Would I have been happy with other exotic car - Yes. Where the other cars less expensive, yes. But I was in a position that saving $40K was not a concern.

Disclosure: I actually bought the car Feb 29 and I don't even have it yet. Should have it this week.