Italian supercar marque Ferrari is the one most ‘enthusiasts’ speak of in awed whispers. With its iconic ‘prancing horse’ badge and its exclusivity, there are a lot of unsubstantiated rumours surrounding the brand due to the rules it sets for its customers. So before you join the rumours club, let’s bust a few myths about the Ferrari brand.
You cannot bring the XX models home
The notion that Maranello’s finest keeps its track-focused XX lineup locked up at the factory is one of the biggest myths propagated by the rumour mill and you most probably came across it while watching old episodes of Top Gear.
However, in 2016, Google executive Benjamin Sloss busted this myth on Instagram when he showcased his 599XX Evo in a post. Sloss revealed that owners could take their XX cars wherever they wanted to, just like any other car. However, many customers prefer to keep their cars stored at Ferrari’s Corse Clienti department in Maranello.
Ferrari confirmed that Sloss’s comments were true in an email to Road & Track, however, the carmaker has made it mandatory for owners to get their XX cars checked by a Ferrari mechanic and technician ahead of tracking their cars.
Anyone can buy any Ferrari special edition car
Ferrari’s limited edition cars are the envy of every supercar owner and wannabes. Whenever you hear about a new special edition prancing horse like the LaFerrari or its drop-top version, the launch announcement is accompanied by a statement telling the world that all the allocations for the new car are already booked.
For these special cars, Ferrari carefully chooses from its own customers, who fit their profile for the new car before asking them if they want to book the new car. It doesn’t matter if you own 5-6 Ferraris or a large collection of prancing horses in your garage, if Ferrari doesn’t want you to buy the car, then you don’t get one.
You can buy Ferraris only through invites
While Ferrari chooses the customers who can buy their limited run or special edition cars, the same cannot be said about their regular cars. If you have the money for a ‘regular’ Ferrari, then the Ferrari factory will build you your supercar.
Ferrari never advertises
While its true you will not see a Ferrari ad on your regular news or sports channel, the Italian marque does not shy away from promoting itself. While shying away from regular TV ads, the company uses sponsorships for events and online ads to reach its clientele. A big example of this is the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, an amusement park in the UAE.
Always been a sports car manufacturer
While the Ferrari car business started off as a way to keep its racing team going, the carmaker has not stuck to making just sportscars that are good for short drives and track days. Till this day, the carmaker makes grand tourers which can chew up the miles across countries. Its current GTC4Lusso and GTC4Lusso T are proper four-seater cars with big boots for your luggage. While today’s power figures for grand tourer Ferraris may seem ridiculous, they do come with a storied history with the brand which includes iconic cars like the Daytona.
Open the engine hatch and lose warranty
Another rather preposterous myth propagated by the rumour mongers is that if you open the engine hatch, Ferrari will not honour your warranty. This, like the other myths, is a load of tosh that deserves to be binned. While Ferrari, like any other carmaker, will charge you if you fiddle with the engine, opening the bonnet or engine cover to gaze at the V12 or V8 masterpiece underneath is not something that will get you into hot water.
You can sell your Ferrari whenever you want
While you can sell your ‘regular’ Ferraris whenever you want, the same cannot be said for special edition cars or track exclusive specials. These hypercars or track monsters come with a signed bond to ensure you don’t just buy the car and then sell it a few days or months later for a big profit thanks to the insane demand for it. If you dishonour your bond with Ferrari, prepare to be blacklisted. However, once the time period of the bond lapses, you can then sell your car.
All Ferraris become expensive with time
The prices for every car in the world appreciate or depreciate depending on the demand for them and their rarity. And while some classic Ferraris like the 250 GTO have sold at astronomical prices, don’t expect every prancing horse to do so. Just ask the owners of many four-seater V12 Ferraris about how crazily the prices of their cars have dropped. If you believe that just a prancing horse badge will make the price of your regular Ferrari rise years after your purchase, then you need to get your head checked out.
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