Category: Ferrari

Technology drives so much of our world today and this is especially true in the world of Ferrari service.  What is the difference between technicians today versus technicians from 30 years ago?  That is like asking what the world was like before Microsoft or social media.  Simply said, there is a lot that is different.

A classic, pre-owned Ferrari that was manufactured in the 90’s will clearly have different technology within it vs. the later and current model Ferraris.  If you go back even further to rare and vintage Ferraris, there will be zero computer components in them.  For example, the 1985 Ferrari 308 4-valve has no computers in it at all, meaning there is zero ability of scanning with computers to diagnose the service issue.  This also means that the repair will be either a rebuild or a mechanical repair, which brings us to the most important difference between technicians of today vs. 30 years ago:  Technicians with decades of experience have the knowledge base required to fix the pre-computer-era cars.  They have seen a lot and have been in many different situations with these older cars, and this is something that is crucial when you are dealing with a car of this calibre.  Often, I think of the analogy of selecting the doctor I would want to perform heart surgery on me; is it the surgeon with 30 years of experience, or the med student fresh out of residency?  Some may find this analogy absurd, but to many, Ferraris are not considered “cars,” they are “works of arts”.

Another big difference between Ferrari technicians with decades of experience relates to the one issue that always comes up with Ferraris a few years old: Parts.  Experienced technicians are likely to have one of two benefits when it relates to parts, the data base to source rare parts for older Ferraris and/or the ability to make the part.  As Ferraris age, the parts become discontinued and scarce which requires someone who knows where to look to find the parts.  Technicians who have been around for years have grown networks with companies all over the world to source parts.

In some situations, we will have a client bring their car in for their annual Ferrari service and we will discover there is a part needed that cannot be located.  When this happens, the only option is to actually make the part.  A Ferrari technician with a few years experience will likely not have gained the experience to machine the part from scratch, as it is also unlikely they will have the experience with that of an older Ferrari model.   Machining parts from scratch requires much experience and knowledge, and that is not something every technician (even those with years of service experience) can do.  In addition, you will also need to make sure that the service center has the machines needed to make the part.

There is always great value to anyone who has years of experience in any industry.  When it comes to the vintage Ferrari world though, experience isn’t just a want, it should certainly be a need.  When you are scouting Ferrari service centers, be sure to investigate the shop and the technicians credentials to be sure your Ferrari will receive the proper care.

Two of the biggest challenges people face when owning an older or classic Ferrari can be maintaining and servicing their vehicle. Sometimes, the older the car, the harder it is to find someone who knows how to properly work on it.  To make matters worse, it can also be very challenging, if not impossible, to find the proper parts for the vehicle. So, what are you supposed to do you do when this happens?

The first and best place to go for these types of resources is usually the specific make or model's owner’s club. For example, if you are looking to buy a pre-owned Ferrari 360 and you want to find out about service and parts availability, the most useful information can usually be found on FerrariChat.com or the Ferrari Club of America’s webpage.  Websites like these are often full of enthusiast members that you can chat with to easily and quickly get your questions answered.  In addition, there are often vendor sections where you can find dealerships advertising Ferrari service and/or parts.

You will also find that there are very few Ferrari service centers across the country that specialize in servicing and restoring older models.  Often, these service centers scour the world looking for dealers and former dealers who have collections of parts from when they sold their stores looking to dispose of those collections.  What happens when the part is discontinued and no one can locate a part anywhere?  In very rare cases, you can find a technician that has been working on cars for so long that the familiarity they have gained with the required parts and special tools has enabled them to manufacture and make the parts on their own.  A great example of this is one of our own technicians, Wade Williams. Wade has been working on Ferraris for over 25 years and often times when an order requires a part that is no longer available from Ferrari, Wade will make the part on his own. This example is rare because, not only do you need the technician with the ability, you also need the special machines to make the parts.

Owning a classic, pre-owned Ferrari is something dreams are made of.  We only suggest you further enhance that dream by doing research on both the service and parts’ aspects beforehand so you will know exactly what you will be dealing with when it is time for your Ferrari Service.  Some cars may require shipping across the country while others need the manufacturing parts, or both.  Either way, it is always best to know this upfront.

Labor rate can be such a hot topic when having your Ferrari serviced.  It reminds me of when people shop for a lawyer, everyone wants to know the hourly fee.  In my opinion, however, I believe that when dealing with anything of importance, the total cost for the job is what is important, not the hourly rate.  I want to know going into a situation that my Ferrari Testarossa is going to cost $6,000 to fix, not that it will be $225 per hour because I have no idea how many hours it will actually take.  Labor rates, parts prices, etc… all of these items are irrelevant to my end goal of a perfectly running Ferrari.  Along these lines, I want to feel and know that I am addressing everything on my exotic that needs to be fixed.  Pre-owned Ferraris are not just cars, they are assets that need to be managed and cared for like you would with your stock portfolio.  And as you would with the investment firm you interview to manage your assets, you need to do the same with the shop that services your Ferrari or Maserati.

In today’s technology driven world, you can readily access the information you need to shop around.  If you take your Ferrari in to have a timing belt replaced and are quoted a total cost for the job, it’s easy for you to call around for another quote.  In addition, this would be the time to use all the information on line to learn more about the Ferrari Service Centers you are considering.  Find out who will be servicing your car and what their credentials are, does the shop stand behind their work (online reviews are extremely helpful), and what will your service experience be like? Do I have to wait months before I can get an appointment to come in? Will they provide me with a free loaner? How will they take care of my car while it's there?  Questions like these can end up adding to the bottom line, which is why there is so much more to consider when choosing a service shop than simply asking what the labor rate is?

In addition, find a place that is willing to invite you into their shop and show you the problems they see so that you too can verify that you're only fixing what needs to be fixed. Unfortunately, the auto industry has earned its reputation from there being a lot of  dishonesty that takes place. However, there are also many extremely honest dealers who make great partners, and you will be able to tell exactly who those are when you look at all these factors.  The world of exotics is very different than traditional cars in a sense that these vehicles are about peoples passions and love.  Not only do the owners love their  Rolls-Royce, but more often the mechanics themselves will have a love and admiration for the vehicle and its craftsmanship as well.  When you find a shop that shares your same passion and appreciation for these true works of art, you will know without a doubt that you have found your shop.

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Often, we find ourselves discussing with our clients the fears when it comes to owning a Ferrari, Maserati or other exotic, with the biggest fear being about service. Who is going to service their exotic? Where can they service it? Do they automatically take their car to the franchise dealership because they assume they will provide them with the best service? Can they find a good independent shop that can provide them with the comprehensive service needed to maintain the value of their investment? These are all very important questions and, with many of our clients residing all across the U.S., we make sure they are armed with the important information they need to find the best Ferrari service shop in their area for their car.  There are a two main areas to investigate when researching a service center: the technician who will be servicing your exotic, and the actual shop itself.

When it comes to servicing your Ferrari, Maserati, Rolls-Royce or any other exotic, the level of experience of the technician working on the car is one of the most important things to consider. If you have a factory trained master technician working on your car, the odds are you are in the right spot.  A master technician is someone who has completed many trainings and certifications, meaning they have years of experiences with the quirks of a specific make and models.  That being said, someone does not have to be a master technician to be a great technician. There are many technicians that are highly qualified and talented with less certifications. It is just very important for you to get to know the person who will be working on your car and what kind of training and experience they have had.

In today's world, we have also seen many factory trained technicians with decades of experience not limited to franchise car dealerships anymore, which brings us to our second main point as to whether you should choose a franchise or independent dealership for your Ferrari service.  More and more we are seeing many technicians, who have spent decades with  franchise dealerships, looking for major changes and partnering with independent shops to help provide better services to clients.  It is actually not uncommon for independent shops to have many technicians, with decades of factory training of different makes, all in the same shop.  Examining the technicians of both franchise and independent shops is critical for this reason.

Another perk of the technology driven world today is that you can have a world of knowledge about a dealership before you ever step foot inside their business.  Looking for service for your pre-owned Ferrari or Rolls-Royce, you can look online to determine a dealership’s reputation.  Online reviews are a great source that tell you much about a dealership: Do they have positive reviews from other clients? Do they stand behind their service? Have they invested the hundreds of thousands of dollars in factory diagnostic tools that are required to service your car?  Examine the types of cars they typically sell and service, and make sure the make of your exotic is not a one off for them.

Servicing your Ferrari or exotic shouldn’t be stressful and the good news is that it doesn’t have to be. Consider all of the questions we’ve discussed and you should be able to determine the right Ferrari service shop that will provide the best care for your cherished 308.

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When talking about servicing your Ferrari, or any exotic for that matter, how important is it who does that service? There are many schools of thought that an automobile is an automobile, an engine is an engine, a transmission is a transmission, they all work the same. While in general this may be true, the reality is it goes far beyond that.

Most will agree that every exotic has a personality, it has nuances, it has intricacies – some good, some bad, and for this reason, it makes it all the more important who is doing your Ferrari service. There are a plethora of service centers out there that will tell you they can work on any make and any model, but there is a reason why manufactures and dealers spend hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars on training and tools.  There are specific tools, diagnostic tools, service manuals and diagrams specific to certain makes to ensure the vehicles are maintained properly.

In addition to the tools, training and experience is critical.  Some technicians have decades of experience and training, which means they have seen a little bit of everything.  The training that some technicians have will be, not just for specific makes, but for individual models, and some even for specific systems for an individual model.  So, when you have a technician with a portfolio full of training certifications, chances are they know where to find common failures or when something looks out of place.  Unfortunately, too often inexperienced technicians can get a hold of a Ferrari and miss the signs of imminent, expensive failures simply because they did not know to look for something.  Because of this, it is true that who services your Ferrari is equally, if not more important, than the actual services performed.

When it is time for your Ferrari service, even for something as simple as an oil change, take the time to make sure the person working on your car is familiar with that model, has extensive experience working on that model, and knows everything to look for when servicing something on the motor or underneath the car. From first-hand experience I can tell you, if you try to save money and get a simple oil change done on your Ferrari, you could be costing yourself thousands of dollars by missing what could be handled today that ultimately turns into a major issue around the corner.

My motto is, “ if you think it's expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.“  This sentence alone epitomizes what I'm taking about when it comes to Ferrari service.

Be sure to visit our world class service center for more information on technician certifications and what you should look for.

The first time I drove a Ferrari, I experienced something I never had before–it’s almost indescribable. The smell of the fine leather, the feeling of being so close to the ground, the whirring of the engine…ahh the engine. I remember the exhilarating yet strange sensation of hearing–no, feeling the engine…but it was behind me. It was unlike anything I had ever felt, and while my love for Ferraris came long before that moment, if there was any doubt before, it was clear then, that I was a full-blown Ferrari-nut now.

Mid-engine…Don’t you mean rear-engine? This is a common misconception about Ferrari engines that are behind the driver.

The good news is: Most Ferraris, if not all, sound incredible. Period. Front-engine, mid-engine, they are all beautiful, melodious, machines, so as far as deciding which I like better or prefer–that is difficult to say. There is something about having the engine right behind you, and hearing it right in your ear. The first Ferrari I ever drove was a preowned Ferrari F355, and in my opinion, there’s nothing that sounds as amazing as that–it’s loud, it’s in your ear, and it sounds like a Ferrari. So, perhaps I am a bit biased. However, a Ferrari California is an 8-cylinder engine that sits in the front, and I think it sounds incredible too.

The only drawback about mid-engine Ferraris as far as I can tell is the restricted rear passenger space. Aside from the Ferrari Mondial (the only successful example of a mid-engined convertible with supercar performance and seating for four), almost all mid-engine Ferraris are two-seater sports cars…so if you’re looking for a spacious rear-seating area, I would opt for something like the Ferrari FF or Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, which offer a 2+2 seating arrangement.

When appraising a used car, one of the first things we look at is the odometer. Then, of course, there’s the year, make and model of the car, etc.– but how do we determine if the car is considered “high-mileage” or not? Sadly, for everyone, there does not seem to be a simple answer to this.

As a general rule of thumb, around 5,000 miles a year is considered “low miles,” and around 15,000 miles a year is considered “high miles.” To make matters more confusing, exotic cars play by a completely different set of rules than your average used car. The terms “low mileage” and “high mileage” take on entirely different meanings in the exotic world. Here is the cold, hard truth: anything over 15,000 miles on an exotic car is considered high mileage. Totally asinine, right? I mean, how could 15k miles possibly equate to being high mileage? And how could that make the vehicle far less expensive, less valuable and, therefore, less desirable? And what is even stranger is that from a mechanical perspective, a car with 40,000 miles is probably in better shape than the car with 4,000 miles because it has actually been driven. That’s where the car’s condition comes in.

For all used cars, exotic or otherwise, it is important to look at the service history to determine how the car was treated. Is it up to date on service? Has it been well-maintained over the course of its life? A great way to think about it is: a car that has 90,000 miles on it but has been serviced every year is going to be in far better shape than a car with, say, 30,000 miles that has not been taken care of, major service intervals neglected–that sort of thing. For pre-owned Ferraris, and all exotics for that matter, service history is critical. One of the  major services for Ferraris  is the timing belt service, and while used Ferraris (and exotics in general) are known to be garage-kept and cared for, if a service like this has not been done at the proper service interval, it negatively impacts the cars worth. So you see, all miles are not created equal–Just because a car is low-mileage, even by exotic-car-standards, it is vital to do your research on the condition of the car as well.

You may be asking yourself, if mileage is such a big issue, what is the point of buying the car if you can’t even drive it? I’ve asked myself the same thing, and wondered if I was thinking too much about the resale instead of just enjoying the car. But, when you are considering spending $160,000 on a Ferrari 360 Spider, the resale value matters a whole hell of a lot more to you than if you are buying a $25,000 car. At the end of the day, cars are meant to be driven–that has always been my philosophy. As far as mileage goes, if you are concerned about resale values, buy the car, drive the car, take proper care of the car, trade it in against another pre-owned exotic…repeat.

Dost mine ears deceive me? A Ferrari utility vehicle…could it be true? According to Sergio Marchionne, Chairman and CEO of Ferrari (among other manufacturers), the production of a Ferrari SUV–or “FUV,” as he calls it–is indeed, happening.

After Marchionne alluded to reporters at the New York Stock Exchange that a Ferrari SUV is most likely on the horizon, Ferrari lovers and enthusiasts everywhere, were shocked. For months, if not years, Ferrari has denied even the possibility that the brand would cross over and make a sport utility vehicle. Understandably so, since the idea of a four-door Ferrari in general seems perposterous, but an SUV? That is downright blasphemy to some. The closest Ferrari has come to deviating from its race-track roots is the GTC4 Lusso (formerly the FF), wagon-like in structure, but even that is still just 2-doors. Porsche and Maserati have taken the plunge into the SUV market, and have been followed by exotic competitors, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, even Lamborghini. Ferrari seems to be the only notable SUV holdout in the luxury market, but that may not be the case anymore.

We can’t help but wonder…

What does this mean for the Ferrari brand? The profit margins on SUVs are high, there is no doubt about that, but is it worth it? What will this do to the pre-owned Ferrari market? What will this do to Ferrari’s most loyal followers? Ferraris already are among the most expensive cars on the exotic market, let alone in the world…is it really worth capitalizing on a financial opportunity in an effort to gain, when there could be so much more to lose? To many purists, an SUV, the ultimate sell-out move, will ultimately cheapen the Ferrari name. Are they right? And finally, what would Enzo Ferrari think of this? Some, if not most, believe that the company’s founder is no doubt spinning in his grave at the very thought of introducing an SUV and bowing to market pressure.

We discussed last week how over-production in the car market  can diminish a brand’s value. If Ferrari continues to ramp up production and create models that stray from Enzo’s initial vision, this could happen to them, too. Ferrari’s long-held strategy of limiting volume, even at the expense of profits, seems to be shifting under the reigns of Marchionne. During his appearance at the NYSE, Ferrari’s CEO explained, “We need to learn how to master this whole new relationship between exclusivity and scarcity of product…Then we’re going to balance this desire to grow with a widening of the product portfolio.” So, we can’t really get mad at anyone for wanting to grow, expand, and make more money. As Ferrari enthusiasts, however, we can kick and scream about it in the meantime. On the bright side, older Ferraris out there on the market continue to rise in value, as the exclusivity of models like Ferrari 308s and 355s remain in tact. As far as the increased production goes, our best advice is hold on for dear life.