What does it cost to drive a used Lamborghini or Ferrari?

With the door in the house: the answer to the question of what a year driving a Lamborghini Gallardo will cost you is not that simple. Every car is unique and thoroughbreds like a used Lamborghini or Ferrari are even more unique. That makes a clear, unequivocal answer difficult. Then there is another factor that is very decisive and that makes it even more complicated: how does the owner and rider stand in this ‘adventure’?

‘Experience costs money’

Rik Zuurbier is an Alfa Romeo specialist at Il Biscione in Houten and he makes the most beautiful things. Older cars become like new in his hands, he knows his clientele and has a clear vision. He quickly gets to the point: “Buying and driving an exclusive Italian car is a conscious choice, because you enter into a kind of commitment. You have to ask yourself in advance: what am I willing to do for this experience? Because that’s it! That experience costs money and that becomes more and more the more unique or complex the car is. Then you have something very special, which no one else has.” His enthusiasm is contagious and we can reasonably follow this argument. But it could be a little more specific.

What do you give to buyers of classic Ferrari?

We therefore approach a dealer who deals in youngtimers and classics. He has a beautiful classic Ferrari for sale. What can he give to a buyer who buys himself a Ferrari 328 GTS with the money from an old sock? What can he or she expect in terms of costs for maintenance and repairs? The answer: “I sell these cars. People can probably imagine that driving an older Ferrari will cost money, but then you also have something. But how much, I’m not sure.” It doesn’t sound like you have to come back here if a connecting rod unexpectedly comes through the block at a traffic light sprint.

Once a year for 800 euros, and every three years for 3,000

We knock on the door of De Leon Classic Cars, where a beautiful Ferrari Mondial is for sale. You can be a Ferrari driver for less than half a ton, how cool is that? But what will that property cost after purchase? “You can’t say that in advance, because it depends on many factors,” says Leon van Erve, director and owner. “There is a lot of difference between the cars. I don’t just sell Ferraris, I’ve been driving them myself for years. Once a year a service of 800 euros and every three years a service of approximately 3,000 euros, you should count on that at least. But when you ask what driving a Ferrari will cost you, you don’t actually have the money for it. Then you have to buy a normal car.”

Ferrari Mondial, less complicated than a Testarossa

Don’t take a Lamborghini or Ferrari for everyday use

Leon emphasizes that customization is needed. “Such a Mondial is very different from a Testarossa, which is much more complicated. For daily use you should not take a Lamborghini or Ferrari at all. Moreover, you have to drive such a car with a lot of feeling and with a lot of policy. And then don’t make too many kilometers. Money shouldn’t be a factor when choosing a Lamborghini or a Ferrari. If money is a factor, then you should go for a Kia or a Toyota.”

Lambo is cashier

Very concrete is the story of a private individual who went on ‘the adventure’ with a Lamborghini (and previously a Ferrari): Wil van Buuren started with a Fiat Dino, made some progress with a Murciélago (don’t forget to take a look at this Blits Bezit van Wil with his Lambo) and drove a Diablo and a few other Lamborghinis before that. Mid-engine exotic sports cars are notorious. During major maintenance, when a timing belt needs to be replaced, the engine block must be lifted for some types. Anyone can imagine that something like this tends more towards surgery than maintenance. Then the counter starts to run to a substantial final amount, as it turns out.

Wil van Buuren with his Lamborghini Murcielago ini an episode of AutoWeek Blits Bezit.

Scare at a noise

“Ferrari is a bit more refined, but Lamborghini is more brutal and extreme and that suits me better. An Italian thoroughbred, well. My experience is that it all costs more than a normal car and that you also have to deal with defects more often. At least that’s roughly what I’ve experienced,” said the expert by experience. He talks about a time when he was employed and almost all his money was spent on his beautiful cars. Thanks to the knowledge he built up about the exotics market, he was increasingly able to control the depreciation when trading in his Lamborghinis. “But if I was behind the wheel and heard a noise, I was immediately shocked. You know that something like this can have serious financial consequences.” That noise was at the time a differential that turned out to be worn. Costs: €8,000.

Clutch: 8,000 euros

Then the clutch was no longer armpit fresh. Costs: again €8,000. “The bill eventually amounted to no less than 24 grand, because there were also some other things, such as 16 liters of new engine oil. Only then was he all right again.” Another telling story: the Lamborghini enthusiast bought another car, but no longer had the money to pay the bpm. That is why he suspended the car for six months and started saving. After seven months there was sufficient balance for the bpm and to register the car. Apparently you have to do all that for a Lambo experience. An important side note here is that the official brand dealer carried out the maintenance and repairs. That fact brings us to the next chapter.

Brand dealer or specialist for maintenance

If you want to keep your thoroughbred horse in good condition and fresh, you are in principle condemned to maintenance at the brand dealer, or at a brand specialist with a resounding reputation. Those garages charge higher rates, and you will have to make do with that. Are specialists then rip-offs who take advantage of the situation? No, but they do have more to offer and are therefore more expensive, although they are just as much in a playing field of suppliers, customers and competitors, just like everyone else. The official brand dealer and recognized specialists also have a trump card that is important to many enthusiasts of Italian supercars: an official garage stamp in the service book. “If you are talking about buying a Ferrari as an investment, then a maintenance process with the right stamps is very important”, we hear at Heijstee Classics. By the way, they have a beautiful Testarossa for 128 mille. “Your investment remains intact, because the history is clear, something that counts in this world.” If you want to keep that investment, you won’t get out of that trajectory. It is also evident that brand dealers and brand specialists have the most in-house knowledge and expertise. That fact more than makes up for the higher garage costs.

Advice importer: choose one delivered in the EU

The Dutch importer of Lamborghini obviously confirms that, but has even more tips in case you win that ton and you can buy a used – take it – Gallardo. The first piece of advice: take your time. “Choosing may take a while, because that ton will not run away,” said a spokesman. “If you have a car in mind, you should always have a purchase inspection done, and certainly one where the bottom plate is removed.” The importer always advises to purchase a car from the EU. “In other parts of the world there are different expectations. In the United States, for example, they fill up with 89 octane, here we fill up with 98. Dubai also has quite a bit on offer, but desert sand can have a negative effect on a sensitive car like a Gallardo.” He has even more tips. “Go for a car whose history is known and present. If something is missing, it is suspicious and there must be a solid explanation for it, otherwise you have to leave the car. There are Gallardos for sale from roughly 80,000 to 150,000 euros. It is likely that the one and a half ton car is better.”

Car from collection requires extra attention

Special attention is required for a car that comes from a collection and has been stored for a while. “Then count on 10,000 to 15,000 euros in costs to get it running again. And then we assume a car that is technically in good condition. You must therefore deduct that money from your disposable amount. If a car is in a lesser condition, a refurbishment can easily go to 50 grand.” And the depreciation? “A model like the Gallardo Superleggera is very stable in value, but even with a normal Gallardo you have to be able to keep depreciation reasonably under control, especially if you immediately make the investment to put it firmly on the road when you buy it.”

Join a brand club

Driving an Italian exotic therefore costs a lot of money. It is important not to get stuck in the purchasing process. Finally, Rik Zuurbier gives us that advice. Here too, it is recommended to always have a thorough check carried out before purchasing. “Do a pre-purchase inspection and also become a member of a brand club. In addition to knowledge, there is a lot of passion there, which is contagious and stimulating. Compared to an overhaul of a Ferrari V8, which costs a lot of money, a purchase inspection or membership of a club is a piece of cake,” says Rik. And don’t forget: “No one needs a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, it’s all emotion. But without emotion there is no life.”

View the range of Lamborghinis and Ferraris up to a ton in our used car range here.