Vintage Used Ferraris With Resto Mods

As the technology and performance of cars continue to change year over year, what effect does this have on older, classic, collectible Ferraris? This is a very interesting question that can be looked at differently in the used Ferrari market.

On one hand, many people appreciate the simplicity and mechanical nature that make up the older, classic Ferraris. These are the people who get almost more enjoyment out of staring at their beloved Ferrari 308 or displaying it at car shows as opposed to driving it.  Sounds crazy, right?  Actually, this is very common for many Ferrari enthusiasts.  It is also not uncommon to hear somebody talk about how underwhelming of an experience it is to drive a vintage car, whether it is a Ferrari, Maserati, or Lamborghini. In fact, the “underwhelming experience† is so common that there are companies that will take a portion of a car and try to make them more modern. This “resto mod†is not a new phenomenon, and has been around for a long time so that you can buy the classic, used Ferrari you love and enjoy the driving experience as well.

The “resto mod” seems to be in full force if you look at recent auction data such as the Barrett Jackson auction.  Many auction houses now feature collectible, vintage Ferraris and other classic vehicles with modern drive trains, engines, and  transmissions to make them more reliable and so they can perform like modern cars; many of these modified vehicles are bringing premiums as compared to the most pristine, original versions.

Naturally, there will be many who believe in modifying a Ferrari 308 or Testarossa and having it drive like a 458 or an F12, but there will also be many Ferrari lovers that will see this as sacrilegious and be strongly opposed to it.  Many enthusiasts would actually be incredibly upset because as time goes by there are fewer and fewer original Ferrari examples.  As with any situation, there will always be two views so it really just depends on your end goal and desire.  Now if you asked me, I would kill to have a Ferrari 308 that drives like a 458; however, I would only do this as long as I had my pedigreed and collectible 308 sitting under a cover, up on a lift and in my garage where not a thing could harm or disturb it.