Meet Chris: Lifelong Ferrari Fanatic Who Bought A 612 Scaglietti

Family and travel are two things Chris can easily combine with his Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. The Austrian driver shares his story with us in our latest Driving the Dream interview.

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What’s the first Ferrari experience you can remember?

Since I was a teen, I collected everything about Ferrari. I watched every F1 race, collected models (1/18 scale), magazines and more. My wife Claudia (@claudia_4c) gave me a red Ferrari Testarossa when I was 16 years old; that was the foundation of my 1/18 scale model Ferrari collection. Today, there are almost 60 different models in my collection, from the Ferrari 166 to the LaFerrari.

In the 1990s, I had the opportunity to drive different Ferraris – even an F50! It was a really exciting experience!

When did you decide you wanted to own a Ferrari?

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to own one of these beautiful, powerful and aesthetic works of art from Maranello.

When did you acquire your first Ferrari? What was the experience like?

Ten years ago, my wife Claudia and I finally decided to buy a Ferrari. We were looking for a family-friendly model, because I didn't want to drive around alone, but wanted to go on trips with my wife and two children. The other criteria was that it should be powered by a large V12 in the front. After many long nights on the internet, we had a list of possible Ferrari 612s.

In Austria, the selection was not particularly large, so we were only able to test drive one vehicle. We did not like this example due to the colour and options. The next test drive took us to Milan, but even that did not appeal to us 100%. We finally bought our 612 in Germany in 2013, with the configuration that was best for us: Grigio Silverstone with beautiful Daytona seats in Cuoio, and the HGTS package (sports exhaust, stiffer chassis and a more responsive transmission).

A wonderful family Ferrari.

What’s one thing that’s surprised you most about Ferrari ownership?

We got to know a lot of nice people during our trips, but also through various platforms on the internet, such as Instagram. Lots of people on the road are enthusiastic and want to know all the technical details about the car. With Ferrari friends, I could philosophize all day about the history of the brand.

Through the Scuderia Ferrari Club Monfalcone, we met a lot of nice people here in Austria, but also in Italy.

I came across my friend Mohammed (@m_ghareeb80) through Instagram and we met in Pörtschach, in Carinthia, where I was also able to get to know his family. I got to know Jason (@jcr_cars) from Salzburg through this platform, too. We all have the same passion for the Cavallino Rampante.

What’s your favourite memory with your Ferrari?

There are many beautiful events...

The best event was when I drove my Ferrari for the first time. We picked it up in Germany and drove it home to Styria – an eight-hour drive. I can remember how my hands were sweaty with excitement.

In 2016, as part of the factory tour, I was allowed to drive my Scaglietti into the Ferrari factory and park!

In the summer of 2017 we drove to Italy with the Scuderia Ferrari Club. With about 50 Ferraris, we drove through narrow streets, old cities and beautiful landscapes along the sea. As we drove through a small town, an elderly woman with her Fiat Panda stopped in the middle of the roundabout and waved to us. That is a really nice memory! The Italians are simply unique in this regard.

In July 2018, we drove over 1.600 km (1.000 miles) across Austria and South Tyrol with the whole family, crossing through Styria, Salzburg, Tyrol, Bozen, Lienz, Carinthia and more. It was an exciting road trip.

If you could have any Ferrari next, what would it be?

There are 2 different opinions in our family:

My wife Claudia would like a modern mid-engine Ferrari, for example the F8 Tributo. I would prefer an old one from the "Enzo Ferrari era" such as a 250 GT, 250 GT 2+2 or a 330 GT, or maybe a beautiful little 208 GTB (only 160 of them were built!). So, this is a really difficult question.

Besides Ferrari, what hobbies/interests are you passionate about?

First of all, my family and travel; we like to travel all over the world. We love to travel in different ways, such as camping, road trips and city trips. We also like to spend time on the beach by the sea.

And then comes Ferrari again: I collect everything about this brand.

For example, I am currently working on a collection of all 3.000 Ferrari 612 VIN numbers. If someone has VIN numbers with a precise vehicle description for me, please contact me!

Forza Ferrari et Ciao

ChrisEnzo

We’d like to thank Chris for sharing his story with us! You can follow him and his wife on Instagram.