mostly agree with the first part... but what makes you think sheehan is a journalist? you have any ideal of his history?
Interesting - I get a better reception when I tell them I have a 308 than when I mention I also have a Testarossa (talk about a Ferrari hated by "those in the know"!). I guess I just don't know how to pick a proper car
I'm gonna buy a Testarossa as soon as my 308 is back on the road and 100%. I lov'em!! As for the 308 vs Camry. I would love to see anybody make a Camry replica.....Maybe out of a Prius?
Originally Posted by spirot "Well, the way I see Ferrari owners is like this: 1. Old guard / wealthy car guys - they can afford the best, old classics like 250's and 275s and they collect what they like, buy anything they like and they are "into cars" so they respect any of the Ferrari's for what they are are and then also like the financial aspect. but they drive their cars, and usually are pretty cool folks - cars & coffee guys. They not only follow F-1 and racing - sometimes they were participants and know / knew some of the players back in the day 2. Speculators - they have money and buy / drive up prices on old Ferrari's and keep brokers like sheehan in business - nothing wrong with these guys - they are paying to keep cars in great shape - usually dont use them and are looking for a buck. you dont see them at cars & coffee... they are at pebble and cavallino - sometimes 3. Car guys / racers / track guys - these folks buy the cars - 308 - 348- 355 usually but can buy the new stuff too. 430's and 458,but its pretty rare... these guys usually end up in a race car.... they want a Ferrari for the heritage- and they like driving - they like the fussy italian stuff... and go to cars & coffee, track meets, and generally have nice - drivers cars. do their own mtns etc... this is what is closest to Porsche club guys... they are active in the FCA etc... ( i think of my self in this group) they follow F-1 and racing... 4. Play toy guys - these are the guys who buy a Ferrari cause they can, they want a powerful car, with all the creature comforts - they usualy trade up every year or two - lease or roll the car into the newest one - they like 0-60 in 2 sec, and order all the bells & whilstles. they can also be in and out of Ferrari's - swap to a boat, plane, chopper, etc... its toys for them, they are usually busy professionals, and dont really do much with clubs, meetings concours etc... its about fun... and are usually out when the first problem hits... 5. Stars - local celebs or sports stars - they just want a Ferrari becuse it looks cool and cost lots of $$$$ Dealers love these guys - but you never see them or have any interaction with them cause they are "too good" to be with mere mortals. Montezemolo loves these guys. here in Atlatna - you can spot them becuase they have blacked out windows, yellow wheels, and the cars are heavily modified - usually tacky. This is my gauge for Ferrari owners .... where are you?" I'm closest to #3 in your segmentation. Cars/coffee is ok, but I'd much rather drive; I do enjoy the camaraderie. Not a member of PCA and FCA anymore, as I get my fill mostly with Ferrarichat, Rennlist and SCCA (during race weekends). I maintain my race license and enjoy hanging out with fellow racers. Back to Forza and MS articles: the answer is found in one's agenda, which has been the same for a while. Hence, the stale article with imprecise points. My takeaway is: move on, drive and appreciate how much of a bargain 3x8s can be when considering driving enjoyment per $.
I will go out and buy this issue just because I like Forza generally speaking. HOWEVER, do note that recently they have had several features on specifically REALLY well done 308s. I find myself in category #3 pretty firmly. I am using mine as my daily driver right now - no question on that. I also dont happen to see people talking about how slow a 246 is. Its got two LESS cylinders than our 3X8s (12 cylinder purists chime in here). YET, the 246 was also relatively unloved 10 years ago. Nowhere to go but up right??? PDG
I think the Ferrari 308 has a better future than the print media. Magazines are all doomed, let them print what they want in the short time they have left. Forums, like this one and millions of others, allow us to probe and inquire. The photos are mostly better, there's video, and you can ask the owners any question you want. Magazines are like "holy books" filled with nonsense. Bottom feeders creating a product to only last 30 days, written and consumed by fools.
Warranty or not, its still going to fall in value. Its a moving target. You can drive the heck out of them and take a loss on high miles. Or place it in a hyperbaric chamber and get the bump in value, but never really enjoy the car.
Nobody talked about the value of their cars today... We all had a good time. Imagine that! Image Unavailable, Please Login
IMO, driving the car a lot is NOT a loss, its a WIN! You are driving a piece of automotive history around with a truly timeless design and more visceral feedback than any car made today could hope for. Eff this sitting around crap trying to retire early on a 308 or whatever these boobs are thinking that "done dare drive them" due to depreciation concerns. Give it up. Once I ahve mine, I'll rack up the miles with a big smile on my face. You want to collect and trade high end cars? Then go find super expensive, esoteric cars. have fun. 308 guys? Just drive them and enjoy.
Steve Markowski at www.rpmvt.com has an 85 gtsi with 5k original miles on it for 50k. I've seen the car and talked with him about it and it is absolutely stunning. Going back to the article I just picked up this issue today solely for the 308 article. I think most of us here have read the same info over and over on the 308's but I know at least for myself I love these cars and collect any literature I can on them which is why I picked up this issue. I also found the article on the 227,000 mile GT4 interesting.
Since when did how fast a classic or antique car go in comparison to modern car top speeds have influence on collectability? My understanding is that it has to do with supply and demand. These cars have much lower production numbers than most vintage american cars fetching big numbers these days. Also in my option out of any ferrari the 308 would be the most easily identified ferrari by most with no real knowledge of ferraris. If anyone thinks this is a common, cheap and easy to find vehicle and if you want to buy one of your childhood dream cars then play a little game with yourself and try see how long it takes you to find a good example of a 308 gtb QV for sale for a cheap price. It took me years to find the right one for me. Saying that, would I be willing to part with mine without good reason? Definitely NOT! Did I also forget to mention it is a Ferrari. I would be shocked if good examples of these cars did not appreciate in the future. Maybe I'm missing something. It's not why I bought mine, but I just dont understand why people do not think these cars are collectable. It is a ferrari and the last of the ferraris that have that truely vintage cockpit and not just a dated past modern style interior.
I wondered what the owner would value his car at if he sold it I'd be curious to know how close to his asking price he gets if he sells it. Not too many 200k+ Ferraris come up for sale!
Agreed but I couldn't care less. I'm not in it for validation from people I don't know, I'm in it for me. I love my cars, wouldn't change a thing.
Not that I care, either, be sure of that. I was simply offering a possible explanation for the writer's slant. However, as I later posted, my comment was a bit over the top in hindsight.
Some simple facts. When the 308 was born in 1975, it was the most modern, elegant and beautiful V8 Ferrari's out there. Every car next to it looked like crap. It was the rocket of the day for years to go on. Yes a V12 Ferrari or V12 Lambos would smoke it, but we are talking about a V8 Ferrari. What it was then, is what the 355, 360, 430 and now 458 are today. If the dick head at Forza wants to talk about Camry pricing, my dad bought his 308 brand new in 78, which would be comparable to the pricing of today's V8 Ferrari. So in time inflation and depreation affect everything. Maybe the poor journalist (if he even can call him self that) couldn't afford the 308 when it was new, and he still can't afford a brand new Ferrari, has to bash it against a camery . The 308s will never fetch the kind of money that 288GTOs will bring, but it still is one of the most beautiful Ferrari's ever built in the V8 configuration. The camry of 2043 will probably be compared to the 2013 458 by some other crack head journalist. Just enjoy the beautiful cars we own today and forget what ignorant fools have to say, it's just jealousy that's taking hold of them.
As for the production numbers, 12,000 over ten years is 1,200 a year for world wide deliveries. The newer V8 Ferraris only last 5 years and they are producing over 1200 a year. I don't know the exact figures, maybe somebody with knowledge on that could fill in. At any rate to me it seems the 308/328s are produced in fewer numbers over their replacement 348,355,360,430,458. One can never argue with ignorant people, it's a battle not worth it. Any Ferrari, no matter what Ferrari is a very special thing to own and operate. Be proud of what you have.
It's lazy hack journalism, pure and simple. Not one iota of original thought. Pure copy and paste from tired old sources we've heard a dozen times and dismissed a dozen times before. When will something new and refreshing be written? It is possible. Even the Mona Lisa gets seen in a new light every now and then. I suspect the most interesting source for new spin would be in this section on this forum. Look no further for truly interesting, informative and contemporary 308 commentary. Unfortunately, you won't find it in hackneyed ink on paper press.
