Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Ferrari gambling..!!!

It might seem reasonable to consider if you will that most reasonably modern saloon cars have performance well in excess of that which they will ever be expected to deliver on the road, and as for GT versions of hum drum saloons, M series BM`s or AMG Mercs to feel in any way "involved" in the driving process you are getting into dangerous territory.. Then we arrive at sports cars, well now it seems that if you do not have in excess of 400HP you are nowhere, call it evolution if you will..?

Me I got out of that game a long time ago and enjoyed my 911 with a mere 208HP with it`s tricky handling that needed some degree of skill to pilot it well, not that I claim to have done that without fault..(-: Think my +8 might only have 150HP though some of the horses may have wandered of and be grazing elsewhere. For me the reason to buy a Morgan was all about increasing INVOLVEMENT with the machine, though in truth I too was a sucker for ALL the hype as are just about all petrol heads..? Hype consisting of the buzz words to sell us the idea of this that or the other. Heritage, craftsmanship, phrases to capture our imagination on every aspect of the machine being marketed to the extent when describing our machine of choice we repeat them like some sort of religious chant.. NLP at it`s best..(-: Would it be wise to expect anything other than that having spent so much of my adult life consuming the output of the classic press...?

So there we sit in our marque of choice surrounded by the aura of it all, meeting up with like minded people and perhaps feeling somewhat superior in our choices... I am not a bowler but here in Scotland they have lawn bowlers gatherings under the name of Wappenshaw, which is an evolution of the gathering together of men at arms to show of their weaponry.....Weapon show I guess...? (-: Not a lot different to lifting your bonnets and flashing your alloy rocker covers perhaps..(-: Yeah, there is so much wrapped up in the choices we care to make, Each to their own, seems a reasonable outlook and I derive great interest and pleasure when folk take the time to share their knowledge and affection of their chosen marque(s).

I much prefer variety in life and row after row of the same marque does not excite the way a group of different marques does at a gathering of classics, but then I ever admit to being a bit of a CARsonova..

I am with you on that one Luddite. Money, brand and marketing budget does not make something better automatically.

I would dearly love to own a 288gto, a real Dino or even the FIAT one which was very pretty. I mentioned the 365gtc as it represented the something early, special and for me quite cool. It's all perspective. The way they are treated now is annoying but this is where society is. It is also why the Aero speaks to me.

The Coupe has been universally loved no matter where it has been put. The S2 likewise. We went to Como on our tour some time back and a couple of kids went nuts when they saw the car, We let them sit in it and the parents took photos. They had never heard of Morgan or seen one before but it just resonated with them. There is little that can be as good as that.

My mate used to have this one 365 GTC

It's being offered for almost 10 times more than he sold it for just over 10 years ago....

I like only pre 1970 Ferraris...

Alistair, I suspect the marketing money go round has severely stalled, which may in time cause us to re-evaluate much....?

For anyone to deny Ferrari`s placing as an iconic machine in the sports/racing car world, most definitely causes me to wonder at their motivation. I can well understand that many contributors on selective forums may well take comfort in that they are preaching to the converted, but such is my nature that I can suffer a John Knox moment on occasion...(-:

I would most definitely like to have a Ferrari in the garage... I have garage space for at least one more perhaps even two at a push, and would gladly make room for a 911 too, though I suspect there will ever be limitations of one kind or another that may cause us to defer such desires and accept a more pragmatic approach to other of life`s priorities... sigh! But then to be denied the opportunity to even contemplate spending time in research and admiration of the form and function let alone the many possibilities that are out there, would seem to demand the level of blinker wearing beyond my capabilities..(-:

Variety is the spice of life is it not, and I hope to be able to maintain a degree of interest if not hands-on involvement, in as much variety as possible.... perhaps Richards postings in "Cars Mostly" may be a reasonable example relative to the value of mixed interests...

I think the worst Ferrari you could buy would be a cheap one. If you want one, dig deeper in your pockets and buy one that is cherished and properly sorted.

I've always liked the 308, in particular the early ones. When you look at how mental 246 Dino prices have gone, they do seem to be relatively good value. Years ago one of my regulars bought a 348GTS unseen (he got a Ferrari specialist to go and look at it for him). Unfortunately, he's 6'7" tall, and found he could only sit in it with the roof panel off. Still, he managed to sell it for what he paid for it, and at least he can say that he's owned a Ferrari.

There is a big difference between admiring and respecting the work done and wanting/needing/desiring one of the products. You can still respect the cars. It is always going to be a personal thing. I have a personal blind spot around the ultra-mega-expensive one offs from all companies unless they have a real pedigree (McLaren F1 road car for example with real racing heritage)

I do admire Ferrari cars, I hope it did not come across any other way. I feel the 308gtb was particularly undervalued. The engines have been spectacular in V8 and V12 formats in recent years. The V12 cars do make a case for themselves in my mind but I could never justify the costs or investment when I can get more fun from the Coupe or even the S2.

It is a personal thing for all of us. For me no one needs to justify their choices on something like this. They just are.

You maybe missed this recent sacrifice I made in posting this posing horse, it's the only such beast I have been attracted to although the F40 is a nice shape if you like that sort of thing.

Always good to keep an open mind to new experiences and sights

As for the great unwashed there is normally a little friction on a Friday night between aforementioned and some of the Midshipman from the college in a well known watering hole in Dartmouth.
One such evening one of the Mids parked his Lambo pointy thing outside the place and when he left for home found it had been walked over stem to stern, his immediate reaction was to call the police. Having established ownership they took him away for questioning and he faced the Naval police the next morning so needless to say did not complete his officer training.
He was like pants Andrew when he was down here in that they thought they really were something special well they were kind of right I suppose

Alistair, you came across as open minded relative to your thinking on cars in general...I liked your story of the interaction with a small family group in Italy, well done. I enjoyed much the same situation while Morganeering in Spain circa 2004, great fun for all concerned...(-:

Richard, given the choice the F40 is not a favourite, I prefer the earlier Ferraris slightly slimmer and more curvy, modelled on Sophia Loren as she was at the time perhaps..

George, I think the prettiest car they ever made was the shark nosed GP cars, I saw and gloated over a reconstruction of one in yellow in the pits at Revival a few years back it is a stunner just like Sophia in her former years.

It sounded wonderful out on the track too.