Ferrari Plans Exclusive Ownership Club

[AF News Desk]

Ferrari owners with a lot invested in their cars (as in 'multiple cars') will now have a chance to be part of an exclusive Owner's club that allows them to have first crack at limited edition models.

If you happen to own five or more Ferrari models, then you will likely qualify for the ultra-rare membership.

The story from AutoWeek:

Originally Posted by Luca Ciferri - Automotive News, 11/21/11

Some Ferrari owners were upset that they didn't get a chance to buy the limited-edition SA Aperta./AutoWeek

Ferrari plans new club to help loyal owners buy limited-edition cars

Ferrari plans to create a collector's club to give loyal customers a better chance of owning one of the company's limited edition cars.

The club likely will be open only to people who possess at least five Ferraris. The Italian supercar brand says there are about 300 collectors worldwide who own five or more Prancing Horse models.

"I don't want our faithful collectors to miss the opportunity to buy one of our special series," Ferrari CEO Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said in an interview with Automotive News Europe.
Montezemolo is considering giving club members right of first refusal on special-series Ferrari cars.

The idea for the club comes after the Ferrari SA Aperta, a roadster version of the 599 GTB coupe, caused discord between the carmaker and some Ferrari owners who were unable to buy the model because production was limited to just 80 units.

Unveiled during a customer-only event in August 2010 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the SA Aperta sold for about $545,000 in Italy.

Production was limited to 80 units because it was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Italian design house Pininfarina, which has styled almost all production Ferrari models since 1951.

The collector's club would be more exclusive than the existing owner's clubs. The Ferrari owner's clubs are made up of about 13,000 members in more than 30 nations. The owner's club members are active at events such as track days, concours d'elegance, gala dinners and charity events.

To offer Ferrari owners a better understanding of the cars they drive and the country that builds them, Montezemolo is planning an annual driving and sightseeing event.

The "Ferrari Cavalcade" will take place in a different region of Italy every year, starting next spring. It will be open to 120 Ferrari owners from all over the world, with a limited number of places assigned to the different markets.

Owners will drive their Ferrari car for about 90 miles a day, mainly using secondary public roads, and also on tracks including Ferrari's Fiorano test track at the company's headquarters in Maranello and Ferrari's racetrack of il Mugello, near Florence.

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This isn't the first exclusive club for super car owners the past few months, with the other being the McLaren F1 Owner's Club being announced a couple of months back. That said, I'm not terribly surprised to see this coming from such a storied brand as Ferrari.

Obviously this isn't just any owner's club, as owning five or more Ferrari's takes not only time, but serious coin. However, to that end, I think Ferrari owes it to their customers who DO own more than five cars to give them a chance to purchase a limited edition model. I know nothing with chap my behind more than knowing I've spent millions with Ferrari over the years only to find I can't get a limited edition model because some guy who just won the lottery felt like buying a car he knows nothing about.

Not that I'm going to feel bad for a Ferrari owner, but you get the idea.