Nov
6
The 355 Berlinetta is so much nicer than the 348 that preceded it. This one is less busy than the other and that, on a Ferrari, is a good thing. The 355 is also the first Ferrari production car to offer the Formula 1 style paddle shifter. Although they do produce lightning quick shifts, we are happy that today’s find has a 6-speed manual. Read More
Oct
29
Not many of us can afford to spend serious 6 figures for an old sports car. But if you can, you should really consider getting one of these 2+2, early Enzo-era V12s. Maybe we are projecting here because it is true, they are not the most sought after and valuable models. But we like the versatility of having rear seats even if they are used for the dog or luggage. The seats do look comfy enough for 2 adults however. Read More
Oct
28
We are following up on yesterday’s featured post and our view of what the next Ferrari craze might be. We are beginning to think the 308 GTS or GTB might be ready to rock. Valuations are pretty good here and today’s featured follow-up is a good example. Read More
Oct
27
We paid a visit to another great Ferrari shop in our area – SportAuto by Bill Pollard. We are very blessed here in Connecticut to have probably 4 of the finest Ferrari experts within 75 miles of our headquarters. Bill is one and Steve Mastroianni at Auto Turismo Sport is another. Then there’s RPM in Vermont and Santo Spadaro in Westchester but I am totally off the rails now. Read More
Oct
21
We’ve featured a few 308 GT/4 before and each does a pretty fast job of finding a new home. We’ll repeat what we have written before about these neat beginner Ferraris. There is a special place in the hearts of enthusiasts for Ferraris built while Enzo was still in charge. – They didn’t call him il Commendatore for nothing. He died in 1988 so there are many Ferraris that fall under this Enzo-era category. Enzo was a mercurial person. He once declared that only V-12 Ferraris can wear the Cavallino Rampante – Prancing Horse badge. So early V-6 and V-8 powered cars were referred to as Dinos. But sometime around 1976, Ferrari had no cars suitable for the US market except the Dino. He was forced into allowing it to be properly badged Ferrari. Read More
Oct
9
If you are at all tuned into the collector car world you have heard the noise about cars selling for Matisse money. Just the other day, someone bought a Ferrari GTO for $52 million. An impressive number for sure. And we hope the number is so insignificant to the buyer that the car remains on the road. We’ve heard that some folks are being a little more careful about cars that suddenly have become a major part of their portfolio. For example, you may have been smart enough to buy a Ferrari 250GT Lusso 25 years ago and kept it. You are not a multi-millionaire but your 5 figure Ferrari investment is now approaching 7 figures. Will you take it on the next New England 1000? Probably not. This dilemma shines spotlight on some 2nd tier cars that might never be worth that kind of money but in no way will they be less fun to own and drive. So we set out to find an example and this is what we came up with. It is one of Enzo’s favorite daily drivers – a 330GT 2+2. Read More
Sep
17
To regular folks, the Volvo 1800S will always be known as the car The Saint drove on TV. The Ferrari 308 will always be known as P.I Thomas Magnum’s borrowed ride. That one was Rosso Corsa and it was a GTS and not a Berlinetta like today’s featured car. Will the color, Giallo Fly Yellow, save it from the TV reference? We hope so. Let’s go on record by saying we prefer the GTB to the GTS for 2 reasons – we like the fluid look of the roofline in body color and this particular 308 has Webers and not Fuel Injection. Roar! Read More
Aug
29
We don’t feature newer classics to be often but we came across this 458 Ferrari and it spoke to us loud and clear. Probably because if we were to order a new Ferrari we would probably order it the same way. This one is in almost new condition and still being serviced by the original selling dealer. The original price was $276,000 and it is offered now for $239,000. Not a bad discount. It has covered only 6,000 miles with a Factory Warranty until almost 2015. Read More
Aug
3
There is no doubt that these 4-seater Ferraris have become the darling of the entry-level Ferrari set. It’s similar to what they say about marijuana – it’s a gateway drug to a 512 Berlinetta Boxer. The 308 is an Enzo-era car and that means something to Ferrari Tifosi. Enzo was a mercurial person. He once declared that only V-12 Ferraris can wear the Cavallino Rampante – Prancing Horse badge. So early V-6 and V-8 powered cars were referred to as Dinos. But sometime around 1975, Ferrari had no cars suitable for the US market except the Dino. He was forced into allowing it to be properly badged Ferrari. The Ferrari 308 GT4 we have here as our Preferred offering, represents the first mid-engine, V-8, 2+2 Ferrari. Furthermore, it was designed by Bertone, another Ferrari first. In today’s automotive landscape, the 308 GT4 represents an example of the wedge-shaped design influences of the 1970s. Read More
Jul
23
This video has a happy ending so don’t stock up on tissues as if you were about to screen a copy of Bambi in 3-D. The enthusiasts at Petrolicious feature a new video every Tuesday. We don’t know how they do it but we do know why – they just love great cars and the interesting people who own them.
Jun
15
Our friends at Symbolic Motor Cars are representing this extraordinary Ferrari F50. It isn’t just any F50 (not that any of them are ordinary). This one is a story car making it slightly more interesting than your everyday F50. Rather than rewrite a perfectly good listing story, we will present it just the way our California scout, Tony B. received notification of its availability. 
There are few more famous, or infamous, Ferraris than this particular F50. Almost anyone with an interest in such vehicles knows at least some part of the tale of the “Stolen F50.” In today’s age of instant information, you need not dig deep to learn the details and a simple on-line search will reveal some very entertaining facts and more than a few myths and rumors as well…This was the 29th of only 349 F50s completed in a short two-year production run that ended in 1997 and one of only fifty F50s imported new to the States. Number 29 of the limited production run was a normal USA version and it was finished like 302 similar F50s in Rosso Corsa (Racing Red) with standard black with red insert seats. The initial delivery was to collector and enthusiast Ted Conrad, who enjoyed his new Ferrari for several years before consigning it for sale to Algar Ferrari in Rosemont, Pennsylvania. Read More
Apr
25
The 365 GT 2+2, one of our favorites, is known as the Queen Mother. Why, we really aren’t sure. But it was the first Ferrari with a real rear seat, power everything and A/C. Ferrari needed a follow-up and introduced the 400 GT in 1976 at the Paris Auto Show. The 400 had a 4.8-liter V-12 engine that produced 20 more horsepower, now up to 340. The new car wore a more contemporary, Pininfarina-styled angular notchback coupe body. Maybe not as Ferrari-esque as its predecessor. Read More
Apr
22
The Pontiac’s powertrain description was easy – 421ci, 4-barrel carb (the C&D car ran 3, 2-barrels) and 4 on the floor. The Ferrari’s is a bit more magical. It has a 4-litre Colombo (not the detective) V-12, 300hp, triple Webers, and a 5-speed. We left out a few things ’cause we made our point. The 330 was a very easy car to live with and became one of Ferrari’s best sellers and most desirable. We found this one on the 330 Registry website. It will be going to auction in Houston on May 4th. That’s plenty of time to get a bidder’s number. It is a Series II with single headlights. The Series I cars had 4 headlamps and looked a little weird. It is painted Ferrari red or Rosso to those who know. The 330 had 2 owners until 2012 and is well documented. It has older paint and original interior, chrome and trim. All with understandable patina. Everything is said to function as it should including the optional electric windows. The motor starts easily and the gearbox shifts well although we are sure that means well for an old Ferrari. You have to let the gearbox warm up and shift with care to preserve the status quo. The auction house has an estimate of $170,000 to $190,000 but we don’t think the 330GT 2+2 is there just yet. That will depend on how many bidders really, really want it. Here is the link to the auction house.
Mar
12
We featured this wonderful Ferrari 10 days ago. The 308 GT4 is a Ferrari model that has been flying under the radar for sometime but recently been recognized as a great buy. To quote Donald Osborne, contributor to Sports Car Market Magazine, “The dynamic qualities become apparent as soon as you drive one. It is a superbly balanced car, with responsive handling, and considering it comes from the mid-1970s, enough power to entertain. The long wheelbase gives the GT4 an excellent ride, and the seats are quite comfortable for long trips.” Mr. Osborne holds to the theory that when you are looking for that special car, buy the best one you can afford. This Ferrari, at 27,000 miles with a recent service, could be that car. Contact the seller by clicking here.
Mar
3
There is a special place in the hearts of enthusiasts for Ferraris built while Enzo was still in charge. – They didn’t call him il Commendatore for nothing. He died in 1988 so there are many Ferraris that fall under this Enzo-era category. Enzo was a mercurial person. He once declared that only V-12 Ferraris can wear the Cavallino Rampante – Prancing Horse badge. So early V-6 and V-8 powered cars were referred to as Dinos. But sometime around 1976, Ferrari had no cars suitable for the US market except the Dino. He was forced into allowing it to be properly badged Ferrari. The Ferrari 308 GT4 we have here as our Preferred offering, represents the first mid-engine, V-8, 2+2 Ferrari. 
Furthermore, it was designed by Bertone, another Ferrari first. Why the departure from Pininfarina you ask? Bertone had packaging experience building 2+2, mid-engine sports cars. They had some success with the Lamborghini Uracco so Ferrari gave them the project. And they did quite a credible job. In today’s automotive landscape, the 308 GT4 represents an example of the wedge-shaped design influences of the 1970s. Like many designs, they are in favor and then they are not. Today, it stands out in a crowd. The 308 GT4 fell out of favor for a while and during that banishment many examples were turned into track cars or suffered from deferred maintenance. 
But they are experiencing a resurgence as people have come to recognize the level of performance and handling at a good price point. And that leads us to this particularly fine example. You can check off all the boxes with this one – California car, low mileage, no deferred maintenance, books, tools, A/C and a rare sunroof. And of course, it is finished in Rossa Corsa with fabulous black leather interior. This is a get in and drive it Ferrari for the price of a well-equipped JEEP Wrangler. If you stay on top of these, they will reward you with years of excitement and admiring onlookers. Just realize that you will not be the custodian of the next Ferrari GTO or other rarity. Little upside appreciation here in the near future but we don’t think you lose anything either. Offered at $37,900. Contact the seller direct by clicking here.
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