Ferris Cars are proud to announce that we have teamed up with GOAT Coffee. Hand blended every time GOAT provides the finest coffee from the finest beans available. So, if you’re looking for the finest cars and the finest coffee ……….. look no further! Pop in and sample the delights of GOAT!
The GOAT story
From berry to cup, at GOAT we pride ourselves in producing the highest quality in every pour, together with our signature Ethiopia/Uganda blend. G.O.A.T. is an acronym for, “Greatest Of All Time,” used widely when referring to past legends and future leaders. The GOAT animal is distinctive on the African continent, as it is used for many sacrificial ceremonies to communicate with the ancestors. The same animal discovered the coffee berry in Africa centuries ago. Kaldi was a goat herder who discovered coffee after witnessing the vigour his goats received from eating the berries. He later brought these berries to the monastery and shared them with the monks who exclaimed that they were the devil’s work and hurled them into the fire. The aroma of the berries roasting in the fire was heavenly, and they were raked from the fire and crushed to put out the embers. Realizing their mistake, they placed them into a jug and covered them with hot water for preservation. Later the monks drank the brew and it helped them keep awake during nightly devotions. So when you enjoy a GOAT coffee and drink the love, you share a part of the African coffee community with a collective heart.
Bad news: Rhinos are still being poached at an alarming rate, and the cost of protecting these magnificent animals escalate daily.
Good news: Clients, Friends, and stakeholders of Ferris Cars raised and handed over a whopping R115,150.00 over the last week to Rhino Connect, to help with the preservation and growth of the precious Rhino population.
“𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 40 𝘳𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘴”, says Tersia Jooste (Rhino Connect Founder and Group Chairperson)
It will help her and her team in the fight against the war on our wildlife and will go towards tracking devices, building containing walls, milk formula for orphaned babies and much more.
Thank you to all those in the community who supported Tersia and Gill Kabe (Blue Velvet Events) at the recent Ferris Grandprix Store Launch by buying tickets to win a drive in a Ferrari.
And a very big thank you to the Ferris Familia who joined us in making this incredible donation possible:
If the loss of the Rhino species is something of concern to you, and it should be, please do whatever you can to participate. Its not just money that helps, although it is the biggest factor, but also awareness, support and many other things that can be done.
CONTACT THE FOUNDER & GROUP CHAIRPERSON TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN HELP T e r s i a J o o s t e +27 83 759 1608 [email protected]
By Dee Munro2021-06-15Comments Off on Newsletter 21: THANK YOU ENZO…….. FOR PISSING PEOPLE OFF!!
Enzo Ferrari was a man not to be crossed. He was a tyrant, an autocrat, he knew how to charm, and he knew how to influence. He ran his company with an iron fist and through his dogged work ethic and ruthlessness with his staff, built the world’s greatest and most successful Formula 1 team, and created a dynasty of road-going sports and GT cars that defined the parameters for all exotic and supercars. No wonder then that his arrogance, determination, and ability to manipulate those around him, would inevitability result in pissing a few people off along the way. The price of success was a high rate of attrition among his staff, ex-staff, annoyed customers, other owners, and a long list of would-be rivals, who were either envious of his success or simply out for revenge. Here we explore a few of those individuals who, if it wasn’t for mean old Mr. Ferrari, would have meant we would all have missed out on some spectacular creations.
Ferruccio Lamborghini: Lamborghini 350GT
This car is perhaps the most famous “Ferrari-beater” of all. The story goes that Ferruccio Lamborghini, a wealthy maker of tractors and heating equipment, visited Enzo one day to suggest a modification he had made to his personal Ferrari road car to improve the clutch. He was treated with utter contempt by Enzo, and one can only imagine the brutal exchange as Ferruccio was shown the door. Mr. Lamborghini decided, virtually on the spot, that he was going to take revenge on Enzo by building the ‘best GT car in the world.’ He assembled a talented young team, including ex-Ferrari engineers Giotto Bizzarrini and Giampaolo Dallara, and set about creating a front-engined two-seater, powered by a four-cam 3.5-liter V12 engine that was probably the best of its kind; certainly, the chassis was well in advance of what Ferrari was offering his road car customers. The Lamborghini 350GTV was first seen at Turin in 1963, although the true production 350GT’s did not become available until 1964. Meanwhile, a modern new factory had been erected to build the cars, and the myth of Lamborghini was underway. Connoisseurs recognised the excellence of those first Lamborghini’s, but only with the introduction of the ground-breaking mid-engined Miura, did Lamborghini build road cars that challenged – and even exceeded – the mystique of Ferrari.
Henry Ford II: Ford GT40
Henry Ford II was set to buy Ferrari in the early ’60s, but was jilted at the last minute when he and Enzo fell out over the Italians’ rights to race at Indianapolis. When Enzo walked away, a furious Mr. Ford sanctioned his competition department to find a company who could build a car for Ford that would beat all-comers in endurance racing, particularly the Le Mans 24 Hours, and even more particularly the Ferrari’s. They found a ready-made basis for a winner in Eric Broadley’s Lola GT, which had showed potential at Le Mans already, and conveniently used a mid-mounted Ford V8. Former Aston Martin Competition Manager John Wyer, was hired to develop the car into a winner, that would triumph at Le Mans in 1966, ’67, ’68 and ’69, including the famous 1-2-3 finish in ’66.
John DeLorean: Pontiac GTO
John DeLorean and his lieutenants at Pontiac conceived the GTO package as a way of livening up the staid image of this GM division, rather than as a means of attacking Ferrari; but they must have felt smug about the furor their brainchild caused. There were no real Pontiac racing connections, as competition involvement had been banned at GM, making DeLorean’s use of the Gran Turismo Omologato nomenclature even more of nonsense on what was essentially a very ordinary mid-range car. But the 1964 Pontiac GTO was the birth of the muscle car, inspiring dozens of imitators and notching up peak sales of 96,000 units in 1966 alone. Soon, the ‘GOAT’ became an American cultural phenomena of the ’60s, second only to the Mustang. Any American with $2,000 or so to spend could own a car that would leave a $14,000 Ferrari standing in a straight line. Those Ferrari-lovers who were already outraged at Pontiac’s use of the hallowed GTO symbolism must have suffered near thrombosis when Car and Driver magazine ran a story comparing a Pontiac with a Ferrari 330GT and declared the match a draw……..
David Brown: Lagonda DP115 V12
Having rescued both marques from oblivion after WW2, the patriotic engineering tycoon David Brown was as passionate about the Lagonda marque as he was Aston Martin. He had fond memories of the pre-war V12 Lagonda’s, and wanted to build a successor for the 1950s that would challenge the big 4-liter V12 Ferraris’ dominance at Le Mans: a Lagonda had, after all, won the 24 Hour endurance classic in 1935. The Lagonda DP115 ran at Le Mans in 1954 as part of a particularly disastrous works entry, retiring after a spin crumpled the shapely Frank Feeley-designed bodywork. Still, a timed 172mph down the Mulsanne straight showed the potential, and an improved car was fielded in 1955. The car retired on lap 93, causing Brown to cut his losses and park his dreams of a British Ferrari-beating V12. But it didn’t end there…… we all know the story of how David Brown built the Aston Martin company into the world-class manufacturer it is today, despite going bankrupt a thousand times and changing owners just as often!
What would have transpired if Enzo Ferrari had been an easy-going, mild-mannered gentleman? We may not have been gifted with the icon that is the Ferrari brand, and we certainly would not have been privileged to have experienced the likes of Lamborghini, Ford, and, to a certain extent, Aston Martin. So Bravo Mr. Ferrari ……. and thank you for pissing off so many people and inspiring them to go on to bigger and better things!
Above content exerts from Martin Buckley Features- Classic & Sports Car.
If you enjoyed reading about Enzo you will probably love reading our article about the forgotten Ferraris.
Those eagle-eyed among you will have probably noticed that the image below is not a horse! Whilst we are passionate about our Cavallino’s, both living and automotive, these are found in abundance on our beautiful continent. What is not abundant, however, is the Southern White and Black Rhinos. Ferris Cars have recently committed to assisting Rhino Connect, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to the preservation of both species, in any way we can to stop the needless slaughter of these magnificent animals, as well as the ongoing care and rehabilitation of those left in the wake.
This is Tersia Jooste, she started Rhino Connect. A remarkable woman who has dedicated her life to the protection, rehabilitation, and caring of Rhinos in Africa. Rhino Connect faces a mammoth task every day. Orphaned or abandoned baby’s need constant feeding, protecting, and neutering. Adult Rhinos need constant protection from poachers, all of which costs a huge amount of time, effort, and most scarce of all, money. …… Running this organisation costs a staggering R2.5 million per year! ……. Funds are generated through donations. The cost is made up of a milk fund for orphaned baby’s, veterinary services, tracking and security, helicopter hire, supplement feed, staff, and a myriad of other necessities. If you want to join the fight to save these precious animals, please contact: Ferris Cars – [email protected] Or contact Tersia direct on 083 759 1608 – [email protected] EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS!
Ferrari made a 208 turbo road car in 1982. The reason was to circumvent the tax laws in place at the time. Heavy taxes were imposed for cars with more than a 2.0-litre capacity. To avoid the tax, Ferrari produced a 1991cc engine and slapped a KKK turbo on it to compensate for the lack of power.
The next turbo production car was the legendary F40, lauded by many as the best supercar ever made. The trouble with turbo’s in those days …….. ………. the lag!! Accelerating the F40 would start with nothing, continue with nothing, and then….. 3500 revs and…… Bang…… all you see in front of you is hedge, road, hedge, road…. Ambulance!
It would be over two decades before Ferrari would make another production turbo, the California T.
By then, having lived through the Formula 1 turbo era, Ferrari had mastered the turbo. The California T had a smooth, consistent power curve, from zero to a hundred and plenty. Gone were the days of “put you in the hedge” surprises.
Like most modern cars, Ferrari V8’s have gotten bigger and heavier over the years, with each new model gaining a few kilo’s and a few cm’s.
The 355, in 1994, weighed in at 1,497kg’s,
The 360 Modena, at 1,493kg’s,
The F430, at 1,517kg’s,
The 458, at 1,565kg’s,
Right up to the new Hybrid SF90, in 2020, at 1,570kg’s.
Surprisingly, the only newish model to buck the trend is the 488, weighing in at 1,525kg’s, only 48kg’s heavier than a 458, but 45kg’s lighter than an SF90.
Better performing engines, turbo’s and lighter materials obviously compensate for heavier vehicles but, as the weights (and sizes) have increased the 0 – 100 times, top speeds and general performance figures have increased exponentially.
We should also embrace the modern turbo era, it’s here to stay and Ferrari have worked hard to bring the visceral, emotive and engaging experience of the normally aspirated cars back, there doing a grand job!
