WHY did you buy a Ferrari?

Me too, except it may be closer to 95%!

After this post, I have nothing of value to add. Bravo!

 

There isn't enough space here to explain it. Passion is about the only single word that seems to cover it all though.

 

Since I was 9 or 10 years old, I dreamed about being a racing driver, and that has been the passion of my life. As time passed, this dream becomes more and more difficult and it faded almost completely.

The second dream was owning a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, or a Porsche. This one becomes easier and easier as I get older, and it really becomes true.

Now whenever I sit down in my Ferrari and I look to the prancing horse, on the steering wheel, I feel as If I was at the 24 hours of Le Mans....
Yes, a Ferrari is an icon and owing one is a matter of passion. It's like possessing a piece of the history of motoracing.

 

I had the same model in the late 50's, and a similar reaction...what is it?

The familiar sports cars on the streets of Dallas ca. 1958 were Corvettes, MG's, Jag XK's, T-Bird 2 seaters, and the very occasional Healey, Porsche, or Mercedes SL...I actually spotted a Gullwing once. My mom filled me in on the model; she became an Italophile during her American Red Cross service in WWII Rome, and knew at least that Ferrari was a very fast and very expensive Italian sports and racing make.

My early literary exposure was through 1960's Road & Track and Car & Driver mags.

The Aurora model has been on ebay a few times, may have to add one to my largely-unbuilt kit collection.

 

Ten years ago a friend invited me to join him on a top down run over Independence Pass from Aspen to Leadville in a 355 F1. I never experienced so much lust in my life. I had never heard such a sound. I vowed that day to get one. Realized that dream last week with a 430 Spider.

 

I am a child of the 80's grew up watching Miami Vice...fell in love with the Rossa so when I made enough to get a nice one I did

 

Kids getting older, house remodelled so wife is satisfied, time to think about that idea of a little sports car that was sitting at the back of my brain. Also seeing all those middle age guys like me driving those little cabriolets...So here I am surfing the web for an old Alfa or Fiat. Then,...WHAM! I saw Roxanne on that dealer's web site...Man! I fell in love instantly...A PPI later she was in my driveway...And that stupid smile everytime I drive it!

 

Cuz i had to.

 

Yeah, what he said.

Now, the 3x8 part of the equation was brought on by this lady
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Love it! ditto here.

 

For as long as I can remember I have been a car freak - and when I was about 6 years old I was lucky enough to be taken for a ride in my first Ferrari. I was told then that if I worked hard enough, one day I would be able to afford one of my own. Then, fast forward 21 years as my ex-wife walked out the door holding my son & daughter, her parting words cut deep; "you can kiss your Ferrari dream good bye now!".

So 8 years later, there was I was looking at my dream car, wanting it but unable to reason it, when my beautiful new wife turned to me and said "if you're looking for a sensible reason to buy a Ferrari you will never find it. You want it, you can afford it, and you deserve it. If you don't buy it for yourself, I will." Talk about living happy ever after!

 

She's available now, also holding value well.

 

Lots of reasons.

I bought one because I've been car mad as long as I can remember. Used stare at posters of Lamborghini Countach on my wall as a kid. Bought a 456M with 19k on the clock and a full history for 36000 pounds. That's a lot of money to me, but it is my money not a banks and I worked 21 years to save it.

I chose the 456M because I love the shape, sound (tubi exhausts), practicality (4 seats does accommodate the 2 little ones) and also because it's a sensible buy. You can't buy a 456M for less than 30k and probably never will, let alone a perfect one with full annual ferrari history inc gearbox services. I therefore expect to have no, or next to no depreciation to reduce the capital sum and large service bills. Don't forget the 456m was 175000 pounds new - twice the price of a 355. My car is as new.

If you expect to lose say 6k a year on a car would you rather have a new Ford (depreciation + minor service costs) or a nearly new Ferrari (No depreciation and major service costs) ? Overall costs likely to be similar.

I would add that I absolutely love it, and regularly fight the urge to get it out just to drive around.

 

I bought one because of their racing in the early 60s. I followed the brand until the 90s, when I decided that I'd waited long enough and bought one. I've owned many, and still enjoy the sound, and the feel of driving one.

Art

 

My wife was on a business trip so I pulled the trigger...

Really.

I swear.

Sent her an IM.

Still married.

Really.

Kai

 

That's the best!

I did that once, traded in my wifes car while she was out of town.

She loved it. Good woman.

 

porsche got boring?

 

As said before...dream since I was a little tyke. Had the Matchboxes, posters, you name it. Not sure why, but always Ferrari. Couldn't care less about Lambo or Porsche, still to this day I really have zero desire for either. I think it's the F1 racing heritage... so the 'dream' became a 'goal' sometime in college, started saying my stated goal was to someday have a prancing horse in the garage, any one. That goal was in the back of my mind, but way lower in priority compared to buying a house, student loans, kids, etc. Then I saw a red 360 Spider on the road, sounded incredible. That was it...hit Ebay, Autotrader, ran the calculations over and over...and voila, dream realized and couldn't be happier!

 

Yeah, they did.

 

for the chicks.

 

I wrote the post below a while back. It sums up why I selected the Mondial t. As to the more specific inquiry about owning a Ferrari (I previously owned a 308 which followed ownership many years earlier of a Fiat X1/9 and an Alfa Romeo Spider Quadrifoglio) it was a natural progression from the previous Italian cars I owned. My passion really started with Formula 1 enthusiasm which brought my attention to Ferrari. Between my heritage (1st generation American, both parents born in Italy) and passion for F1, I knew a Ferrari would be in my future:

In the July 1990 edition of Car and Driver magazine, Csaba Csere evaluated a 1989 Mondial t. He stated:

"Who among us hasn't dreamed of driving a Formula 1 car?....There is, however, a way--albeit a costly one--of sampling the Formula 1 experience. For $97,000, Ferrari will put you into a Mondial t cabriolet, complete with open-air bodywork, the prancing horse emblem worn by more than 100 Grand Prix-winning cars, a shrieking engine, a Formula 1-inspired gearbox, a mid-engine chassis with sophisticated suspension and brakes, and enough charisma to make you the center of attention wherever you go....What we have here is your basic Formula 1 street machine."

After two months of ownership (now at 1 year), I could not agree more with Csaba--even if 17 years have passed.

In the mid-1980's the Formula 1 cars had a distinct cab forward design, especially the Ferrari 126 C2/3/4 cars of 1983-1984. Those were the cars that caught my attention, evoking an equally distinct link to the Mondial line of cars. It was at the Detroit Formula 1 Grand Prix (1982-1988) that I saw my first Mondial in the flesh. I knew that one day, after toying with many different sports cars, I would complete the circle and obtain a Mondial.

These cars are truly gems; with great heritage, looks and feel. Every day of ownership brings a big smile inside and out.

 

Not an owner yet but when I saw my first Ferrari back in the late '70's I was switten so for me it is passion.

 

I guess I bought mine for the same reason ANY of us buy ANYTHING, whether that
be a new CD, an electronic gizmo, or an airplane - I wanted it and could afford
it so I bought it. Not much else in the 'thought process' - just wanted one.

Jedi