Ferrari of Tampa Bay is a 'Place to Come and Dream'

Many automakers today have come up with catchy slogans to help pull buyers in and promote their brands. 

A BMW is known as the "Ultimate Driving Machine." Mercedes-Benzes are "Unlike Any Other." For Porsche drivers, "There Is No Substitute." 

But Ferrari, the Italian coachbuilder famous for its blue bloodlines and race-red automobiles, doesn’t need a motto or a catchphrase to get the buyers’ attention; the cars do that all by themselves. 

“There’s a lot of good cars out there, but not a lot of great ones,” Sales and Leasing Professional Matt Randolph says. “That’s the thing that makes Ferrari different from all other manufacturers.

“You generally never see two cars that are identical,” he added. “Exclusivity is a big word with our buyers.” 

One Car at a Time

You’ll find exclusivity is a running theme at , the Tampa Road dealership owned by Onofrio Triarsi that opened three years ago; it is one of only five official Ferrari dealers in Florida and 35 in the entire country. 

The Modena-based car company only manufactures about 7,000 cars per year, with approximately 1,500 autos earmarked for sale in the United States. 

There are only four or five new models in production at any given time, which helps keep demand high and prevents over-saturation of the market by making the vehicles omnipresent. 

And everything in the made-to-order cars can be customized to the buyers’ needs, from the color of brake calipers to the size and color of the stitching on the handcrafted leather interior. 

“Every car is custom built and custom ordered,” Randolph says. “You can’t just walk in here and buy a new car and drive off with it that day. It can take anywhere from eight months to two years to get a new one.” 

“They don’t just build cars for dealer stock to sell, which makes them very exclusive cars.”

Bang for the Buck

It's no secret that Ferraris aren't cheap. The least expensive new model starts at $200,000, and classic older Ferraris can fetch millions of dollars from collectors.

It makes sense then that Randolph says his typical Ferrari buyers include athletes, celebrities, doctors, lawyers — i.e. those with enough cash to afford such coveted vehicles.

But despite the lofty price tags, Ferrari buyers are getting their money's worth, due to the expert precision and craftwork that goes into building each car by hand and the incredible value the cars retain by being limited productions.

"Ferrari pushes the boundaries when it comes to technology," Randolph says. "They're very safe, well built, and they hit on all the senses. Not many cars can say that." 

"And it's a myth that Ferraris are expensive to maintain," he adds. "The older ones, maybe yes, but new ones require just one maintenance visit per year at a cost of around $1,300."

Open to the Public

Randolph acknowledges that just walking into an exotic automobile dealership can be intimidating for some people. But he is quick to point out that Ferrari of Tampa Bay is a part of — and open to — the whole community. 

“It’s not your typical dealership. It’s a showroom, a museum,” Randolph says. “We are open to the public seven days a week ... and we want people to come in and enjoy Ferrari.” 

Ferrari of Tampa Bay is also active in the community. It has participated in local car washes, hosted charity events, provided rides the for Palm Harbor University's homecoming court, and recently held a Ferrari-inspired piano unveiling. 

According to Randolph, it's all part of sharing the Ferrari experience with as many people as possible.

“A Ferrari really is the pinnacle of human innovation and design. Everybody should be able to see these cars at least once.”

"This is a place to come and dream." 

Ferrari of Tampa Bay

Address: 2420 Tampa Rd.

Phone: 727-784-3377 

Hours: Mon - Fri, 9am–7pm; Sat, 10am – 4pm; Sun, 11am – 2pm