Jesmond Micallef talks about the three rare Ferraris that are up for sale in New Zealand.
Ferrari. The prancing horse. The motoring epitome of cool: class, style, passion.
So often the chariot of choice for the rich and famous.
When star movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer was enjoying the meteoric success of Top Gun in 1986, he waltzed in to Hollywood Sport Cars on Hollywood Blvd anddrove away in a brand new jet black convertible Ferrari.
Now, the Ferrari 328 GTS is for sale a world away down under - along with two other rare Ferraris from the 1960s.
One is founder Enzo Ferrari's personal daily driver favourite – a 1965 Ferrari 330 GT V12.
A rare Ferrari 1967 330 GTC is up for sale in New Zealand. Photo / George Heard
The other is a 1967 330 GTC – possibly the only one in New Zealand – worth around $1 million.
"There's something about Ferraris that is hard to explain," says Jesmond Micallef of Waimak Classic Cars in North Canterbury which is selling the trio of Italian sports cars.
"They are a different car… it's got a lot of personality. You hop in to drive it and it's almost like a person, it's got all the personality and character.
"They are certainly not a clinical car – they are fiery things, they are always trying to kill you.
"How do you explain it? You can't. It's a passion – it's a very emotional car. You don't find it in any other car – it's very difficult to explain."
The grigio grey 1967 330GTC is a highly-collectable "investment" Ferrari, Micallef says.
Ferraris are a steady investment, says Waimak Classic Cars. Photo / George Heard
It's had four private owners after first being sold by Ferrari of Virginia, USA to a New Yorker who owned it for five years.
The second owner, a Canadian, noted that the engine overheated and was sent back to the dealership for repairs. The engine was replaced and re-stamped before it remained in his collection in dry storage for over 25 years.
It later made its way to New Zealand.
Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer purchased the 1986 Ferrari 328 GTS after the success of Top Gun. Photo / George Heard
Waimak Classic Cars is advertising it as "price on application" – but a 1967 330GTC, also in mint condition, sold in Melbourne recently for $1.2m. Others around the world have sold for around the $1m mark.
"These coupes were a special car for the special people," says Micallef whose Waimak Classic Cars collection of 50-plus cars at Leithfield – including Jaguars, a rare Shelby Mustang, Porsches, Rolls Royce, Bentleys, Alfa Romeos and MGs - is now open for group tours.
The 1965 Ferrari 330 GT was one of just 50 ever produced and was the one that Enzo Ferrari loved driving around the most.
It's also POA but similar cars around the world have sold recently for between around $400,000 and $700,000.
Jerry Bruckheimer's old Ferrari 328 GTS is also for sale. Photo / George Heard
And the ex-Bruckheimer 1986 Ferrari 328 GTS, which comes with a signed photograph of the producer behind Flashdance, Top Gun, Pearl Harbor, Beverly Hills Cop, and Pirates of the Caribbean, has a price tag of $169,990.
For many years, special provenance in New Zealand, unlike in Europe and North America, did not add much value to cars, Micallef says.
But he believes that Kiwi car collectors and enthusiasts are becoming more interested in the stories behind the cars – and willing to pay a bit more for interesting histories.
Waimak Classic Cars in Leithfield, North Canterbury is now open for group tours. Photo / George Heard
Ferraris have also proved to be incredible investments over the years, Micallef says, much more so than other famous marques.
"While other cars can fluctuate in value, Ferraris are always steadily going up – sometimes dramatically so," he says.
"If you're looking for a solid investment in cars, you can't really go past Ferraris.
"And what's cooler than a Ferrari? There's just something about them."
