It is very hard to join the Ferrari ownership club. The number one obstacle is money, or lack of it for that matter. Let’s say you have just won the lottery and you have decided on that brand spanking new Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. It's a lot of money but you have triple checked your new found fat bank balance and you're happy that you can waltz straight into the local snobby Ferrari dealer and earn a little respect from the salesman.
You’re seated down and the salesman confirms that your bank balance will indeed buy that gleaming Rosso Red V12 thoroughbred sitting on its carpeted platform in the showroom. You notice the salesman smirk briefly. You enquire “what is so funny?”. He says “oh nothing sir, nothing at all. Let me show your new Grand Tourer”.
Over the ensuing years of ownership you will slowly realise what the salesman was smirking at. It's one thing to be able to afford a Ferrari, it is truly another to be able to maintain it.
Linked below is an article documenting the history of one Ferrari 550 Maranello purchased new in 1998 for the not so diminutive sum of $225,000 USD. During the cars 36,000 miles (wow a Ferrari that gets driven!) it has over $65,000 USD lavished upon it just to keep it in roadworthy condition, and that is with a two year warranty in which costs were minimal.
http://www.worldcarfans.com/9080222.014/the-running-costs-of-a-ferrari
