It was recently announced the UK has overtaken Germany and jumped into the top spot for Ferrari sales within Europe. In fact, one in every ten stallions leaving the Scuderia ends up as a right hand version and on a boat to the UK.
So who exactly is buying the globe’s hottest car marque in the UK? According to the Italian manufacturer, the idea that Ferraris are only bought and driven by celebrities and sports stars is a total myth – whilst these supercars are usually only snapped in the media, it’s the successful entrepreneurs that lead the market, either spending time on the track or expanding their car collections. Because Ferrari has a rich heritage and racing pedigree, they are also often snapped up as investments, especially the likes of the F40s and GTOs.
Although the various models set a price bracket between £152K and £227K, UK buyers purchased 677 cars last year. This beats Germany by 25 cars, although the Germans are 100 cars down on the previous year.
Less than 7,000 cars were built in 2013, so delivery can take up to 18 months. Ferrari say that because their cars feature the same badge and some of the aerodynamics and engine management systems used on their F1 cars, customers are more than willing to wait.
So whilst the UK leads in Europe sales, it’s the US that leads globally with 2,035 Ferraris bought in 2013.
Ferrari’s recognises this loyalty and reciprocates by offering them special perks like being invited to the factory and attending special events on the release of new models. You may have an endless pit of cash, but unless the people at Ferrari say so, you may have to work your way up the model list to get your preferred model.
Some of these extremely loyal customers hail from the UK and Ferrari have bent over backwards for them in appreciation of their dedication and loyalty to the brand. Listed below are a few serious Ferrari collectors who have some very special cars in their collections. They’ve also had first hand experience of what’s it’s like to be appreciated by the world’s most prestigious marque.
Jamiroquai
Apart from his successful music career, Jamiroquai is known for his love of Italian supercars, from featuring them in his music videos to appearing on Top Gear. I’ve spotted him hanging out in the F1 garages on more than one occasion, once chatting with Ferrari Scuderia team principal, Stefano Domenicali.
Ferrari values his custom so much, the singer is one of the lucky ones to receive the highly anticipated hypercar, the LaFerrari. The limited edition LaFerrari is a monster of a car with a massive 6.3-L V12 and F1 KERS technology – combined, the hyper car can produce a whopping 950-bhp, which is simply insane. It’s thought each one of the 500 LaFerraris will cost £1M to build.
Other Ferraris in his collection include a £425,000 one of 399 special edition Enzos, the legendary F40 and F50 and a Ferrari 550 Maranello.
Eric Clapton
‘Slow Hand’ isn’t quite so slow when he’s behind the wheel of a Ferrari. Like Jamiroquai, Eric Clapton has spent some time in the F1 garages, as well as the factory in Maranello. The reason he’s rubbed shoulders with the big wigs is the fact he wanted Ferrari to build him a one-off special edition model.
Centro Stile Ferrari and the legendary Pininfarina designed Clapton’s SP12 EC (SP for “Special Project” and EC for “Eric Clapton”). According to the engineers, the SP12 EC was built as a homage to the guitarist’s long career and his long lasting bond and friendship with Ferrari.
This amazing one off is based on the formidable 458 Italia with styling touches from Clapton. His favourite looking Ferrari is the 70s 512 BB – over the years he has owned three. Its engine is the 458’s 4.5-L V8 rather than 512 BB’s flat-12.
Classic 512 BB styling touches on the SP12 EC’s hand-built body include a larger air intake at the front of the car, grey slats on the front boot lid and a two-tone red and black paint scheme.
The car is part of Ferrari’s “One-Off Programme”, set up in 2007 to create unique models following demand from their customers. The cars built by the One-Off Programme have to be based on an existing Ferrari chassis, with customers also receiving the tooling used to make the car, ensuring that it will remain unique.
Chris Evans
We’ve all seen the Top Gear episodes featuring the cheeky ginger DJ where we get a peek into his legendary garage. Whilst his all white Ferraris are entertained by a self-playing white grand piano, his dark blue $12M Ferrari 250 California sits in a separate room, as if the company weren’t quite up to its regal status. It was the amusing episode where James May had several heart attacks when he took it for a spin around London.
Chris Evans owns a fleet of Ferraris, and after deciding to paint his Dino white and adoring the finish, he decided to paint the rest of his collection the same colour. Whilst he claims he’s no petrolhead, he does admit to admiring the cars as art, enjoying their aesthetic designs.
Nick Mason
Nick Mason is best known as the drummer for rock gods, Pink Floyd. He is also an avid classic car collector and has appeared on car shows such as Top Gear – in fact, after he was invited by Ferrari to purchase one out of the 400 Enzos built, Mason let Jeremy Clarkson review it for Top Gear.
I could do a whole feature on this guy, as his collection is extensive and rare. Apart from an F40 in his collection, Mason also has some older and very special horses tucked away.
His 1962 250 GTO is his all time favourite car, and after being called an idiot in 1977 for buying one for £37,000, he now has the last laugh as it’s estimated at being worth between £16M and £20M.
More classic racing porn includes a 512 S, a very pretty 1953 Carrera Panamericana Ferrari MM, a car he actually rallied, a yellow Daytona and a heart-attack gorgeous white and blue striped Maserati Birdcage.