Death by Storage

The half-life of a Ferrari restoration that is not maintained is about ten years, and at 20 years it is usually “start-over” time

by Michael Sheehan

The daily drama of selling older Ferraris provides a constant supply of material for this column, as the same set of problems endlessly repeat themselves in slightly varying scenarios. Rather than continually go through the same explanations, it’s often easier simply to tell people, “Stand by, and I’ll email you one of my columns that should answer your questions.”

At 20 years you start over

But here’s a new subject, related tangentially to the topic discussed ad nauseam—deferred maintenance. Part of our business model is to seek out and sell former “Platinum-level” cars as examples of the best-of-the-best collectible Ferraris. To achieve Platinum, a Ferrari has to score 95 points or better by the Ferrari Club of America’s tough test, an ultra-high standard for any older Ferrari, and a standard that very few will ever meet.

When...