Don’t Look Now, But ‘Cuds are Worth More than Daytonas
We sporty-car types like to talk about the sophistication of our multi-cylinder, multi-carbureted mounts. American iron, you know, those crudely suspended, under-braked cars with huge lumps of iron under the hood, are just the toys that gas station attendants who never grew up lust after. Well, in case you haven’t been paying attention, the market […]
Ferrari VS. Lamborghini, Part II: Lambo Closes the Gap
Okay, Lambo fanatics, enough! My mailbox is already over-flowing with nastiness about last month’s column comparing early Lamborghinis with the equivalent Ferraris. Your passionate defenses notwithstanding, I still maintain that while, from a technical perspective, Lamborghinis were usually more sophisticated than their Ferrari counterparts, in the real world of actually using your exotic, the early […]
Ferrari VS. Lamborghini, the Early Years
Ferruccio Lamborghini made his first fortune building tractors and his second producing heating appliances. At age 47 he set out to amass yet another fortune by designing, building and selling the ultimate grand touring auto. Thumbing his nose at Ferrari, located only 40 kilometers down the road, was an extra bonus. Ever since the 350 […]
The Bad Bos: F40, F50 and Enzo
Most of the Ferraris built in the last two decades have one thing in common with Toyota Camrys: After they leave the showroom floor, they become depreciating used cars. But three Ferraris built during that period stand out as having appreciated in value, the F40 and the F50, and the Enzo continues to sell well […]
The 275 GTB/2—Sorry Guys, the Cheap Ones are all Gone
Last year it was Lussos that were in the Prancing Horse flavor-of-the-month club. Their values languished in the “why-would-you-want-one-of-those” $125,000–$150,000 range. Today, there are folks standing in line to buy great ones at $250,000 plus, and cars with period race history have cracked the $400,000 barrier. Now it’s the 275 GTB/2s that are making their […]
What $200,000 Buys Today
“I’ve always wanted to own a Ferrari.” That’s something I hear every day. It’s usually accompanied with, “I’ve worked hard and my business is doing great. My kids are in college, and I just want to have some fun.” Okay so far. But then it gets a little more confusing. Some of these Prancing-Horse newbies […]
Of 13-HP BMWS and 310-HP Ferraris
The 743-cc, 13-horsepower flathead-four engine on my children’s 1930 BMW DA-2 Kabriolet is far removed from the 3,432-cc, 310-horsepower double-overhead-cam-four engine of a 1956 Ferrari 860 Monza. And most likely, all four of the BMW’s cable-operated drum brakes, each the size of a teacup saucer, would fit handily within a single Grand-Prix-bred brake drum of […]
Your First-Time Ferrari
Which is the best Ferrari for a first-time owner? The answer is not simple, because of the financial resources, intended use and old-versus-new preferences of the potential buyer. Obviously a first-time Ferrari for someone who struggles to justify spending $25,000 for his dream car will be different from the Ferrari for someone who has $1,500,000 […]
Not Sale-Proof Anymore
Summer is here, winter snows are a memory and, son-of-a-gun, once again the Ferrari market is hot. Recent dealer sales and auctions have shown very high prices for cars that were difficult to sell as recently as a few months ago. Generally, high-volume models such as the Boxers and TRs are more-or-less fully depreciated and […]
The Dollar is Falling! The Dollar is Falling!
More than a few self-proclaimed market gurus have been running around like the proverbial chickens with their heads removed, all aflutter because the Euro has appreciated by over 25% against the dollar in the past few months. Visions of container after container being filled in Long Beach with old cars, and destined for England, Holland […]