When did Ferrari's begin for you?

I purchased my first at the age of 25, a 2005 F430 Spider. Not 26 and have been through the F430, a FF briefly (lease/lemmon), a 458 challenge, and am now using a 2013 California.

Absolutely love the cars, grew up in a huge Ferrari environment. Very thankful to have the opportunity to be able and have these cars.

The only negative experience I have had with the brand I would say is quality control as well as the sales people.

 

Watching a film back in the 80's. A Star is Born with Barbara Streisand And Kris Kristofferson. He had a Dayton Spider (killed himself in it) I just thought it looked and sounded amazing. Never considered Ferrari's after that until a few months ago, I think I had been brainwashed into thinking they were cars for poseurs. Anyway, I was in the market for a 'nice' car and was considering buying an Aston. I happened to start looking into 360's and 430's. Eventually pushed the button on an immaculate low mileage 430 Spider only 4 weeks ago. Loving it so far and realising that it was a lifestyle choice as well as an amazing car...

 

Back in the mid 60's, I was 7 or 8 and started following F1. Then I started reading about Ferrari, the cars, the man and the story. I was fascinated by everything about it, and I ate it up.

Several years later when I was 11, I dragged my dad to the New York Auto show. He didn't want to go and every time I mentioned Ferrari, he called me a pipe dreamer. I managed to weasel our way to the Ferrari stand..... and there was a bright yellow Daytona coupe on display. My dad kept grabbing my shoulder to pry me away from the stand, but when I turned around I was greeted by a pair of fine Italian suit pants, and as I scanned up from my little kid perspective, I saw a smiling Italian who asked me in a thick Italian accent, "Would you like to sit in the car, young man"? I shook my dad off like a bad tackle and was behind the wheel of that Daytona.

To this day, I can still smell that car. All the way home my dad filled me with, "stop these fool dreams and get real" statements.

Well, years went by and there have been a number of Ferraris that I have been fortunate enough to have owned and sometimes on a brisk drive in one of them I think back to that day at the NY Auto Show and smile.

 

When I saw the (then) new Ferrari F430 review in Road and Track magazine when I was 13. It became my favorite and still is my favorite car

 

In the 1970's. I was always a Porsche guy buying my first 356 (1956 sunroof) in 1972 for $800.00. Had a roomate that was a Porsche guy also, but bought 2 Dinos. One was a black RHD for $7,000, the other a mint chairs and flairs. The Daytona was my favorite though. I remember some guy driving around Belmont Shore in the Long Beach area with vanity plates "DON'T TRY". Even though I became a Maserati guy with a Mistral and a Merak in the late '70s, early 80's, I did buy a Fiat Dino coupe.