German Car Forum

The standard wait time for a new Ferrari has crept past the two year mark, according to a new report in the Wall Street Journal. In some cases, that figure is as high as three years.

Even with output at an all-time-high of 5,700 cars in 2006, supply can't match demand. A few years ago, chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo famously said Ferrari would never sell more than 5,000 cars a year. The company has since passed that milestone, but it has done nothing to meet the increase in demand from the Middle East and Asia.

As Ferrari dealer Michael Mastrangelo explained to the Journal, by the time a customer receives his or her car, a new or updated model has already been introduced — a frustrating scenario to say the least. Mastrangelo said his customers wait an average of three years. And when those cars do arrive, a price above MSRP is a safe bet.

“It’s very hard to come into a dealership right now and put in a new order if you are not already a customer,” Mastrangelo said. “When I get a young person, what I say is, let’s start with a used car.”

Ferrari's waiting lists are insane, but that's thanks to their sexy design and limited production numbers. It really doesn't get more exotic than that. I have talked to a few guys on the net who have already put down a deposit on the F430 successor which won't be launched until another 2-3 years.
Putting down a deposit for a Ferrari before you have seen it or know anything about it is the only way to get your hands on a new Ferrari around launch, and without having to pay 10-20% over MRSP to greedy dealers. If you are a loyal Ferrari costumer then it is a completely different story.

I think it's a good thing Ferrari aren't meeting the demand, it means Ferraris are still special and exotic. Bentley should have done the same thing, because it's not special anymore when I see a Bentley, but seeing a Ferrari is still special!

I agree, but they should cap it at 6K units so that people wating for a F430 don't get a F500 or whatever its replacement is. I bet their isn't much of a wait on the 612 model though. Its the 599 GTB and the F430 Spider causing the long wait times mainly.

M

The waiting list for even the F430 coupe is long. The clever ones have already laid down a deposit for the 599GTB convertible. Waiting lists are longest in countries like the UK, Monaco and USA, where the demand is extremely high .

Sorta ridiculous isn't it? You know you got a bang up business when you can select who's money you want to take. A lottery winner likely couldn't get one unless he paid an insane price for one. Needless to say those same folks have likely put deposits on the F430 Challenge Stradale too.

M

This is no surprise. I saw a documentary on National Geographic which had a detailed tour of Ferrari's factory at Maralleno, including how they built the 599 GTB and they really put a lot of time and effort into each car. For instance, while typical car manufacturers will just create a standard metal mould for their engines, Ferrari makes a sand mould for each and every one of their engines - by hand - and then destroys the mould once the engine has been set. Each mould takes 5 hours to build.

Would if they could - and that goes for any super exclusive car brand. I think Ferrari enjoys a very unique position in the automotive pantheon and I'm thrilled that the brand is being managed so well. Clearly, no other brand on earth is built with so much "unobtanium."

Of couse, there's the added element of Bentley et al. have to turn a profit to stay afloat. It's believed by a many that Ferrari is a heavily underwritten company thanks to its position as the pride of Italy. How does a tiny little company run an insanely expensive F1 program, run state-of-the-art fabrication facilities, sell only 5k units a year and still turn a healthy profit? They got an ace up their sleeve, that's how.

Interesting. I always thought Ferrari was a profitable company. Well it's good for all of us if Italy's government is funding Ferrari.

I wonder what the true limit would be for Ferraris in the marketplace? Could they sell 10K like Bentley does or like Maser wants to do? Even Aston-Martin is running at 7K a year now, up from just 93 cars in 1992!!! Ferrari should maybe expand just a little bit to say 6.2K units a year.

M

Ferrari could easily sell 10k car, the demand is there. IMO they shouldn't increase their production at all. I think they should remain as the most exclusive car manufacturer in the world. The exclusivity also adds to the appeal.

You think so huh? Of course I agree they should remain exclusive, but I'm wondering what their profits are since others have brought it up.

M

Fiat isn't exactly the most profitable parent company. Since they run a F1 program and compete in an international sport they annually probably get a good amount of dough from the Italian government.