Tim Sealy
Jon Firpach, shown here with a Porsche, makes after-market modifications on exotic German and Japanese imports.
they want when they come in here, and they just want somebody to basically make them feel comfortable in buying it,” he says. “In a sense, you’re selling yourself more than selling the car.” Michael Famiglietti, senior vice president of manufacturer relations for Penske Automotive Group, which operates Scottsdale Ferrari/Maserati as well as 13 other premium auto dealerships on Scottsdale Road just south of the Loop 101, agrees. “If you have to sell a Ferrari to someone,” he says, “then that’s not a true Ferrari customer.” Famiglietti, who splits his time between the Scottsdale dealerships near his home and Penske’s Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, headquarters, clarifies. “Ferrari customers are very passionate. They know what they want. They typically follow the brand in motor sports, they know the models, they really understand the brand. In many cases, they know as much about the car as we do. It’s just a matter of meeting their expectations and getting the car for them and giving them a great buying experience.”
That elusively pleasant and, at best, exhilarating car buying experience—low pressure, uncommonly accommodating and often, let’s be honest, pampering—is the unique enticement offered at all of the high-end dealerships at the North Scottsdale Auto Mall (sometimes called the Scottsdale 101 Auto Collection), which, besides the Ferrari and Maserati brands, also includes Acura, Audi, Aston Martin, Bentley, BMW, Bugatti, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Land Rover, MINI, Porsche, Rolls-Royce and, in perhaps a nod to attainability, Volkswagen. Built in 2002 on 41 acres previously occupied by the Chauncey Arabian Horse Ranch, the crescent-shaped auto mall— complete with a race car museum, two test tracks and a cafe—was designed as the crown jewel of modern auto malls owned by 78-year-old racing legend Roger Penske, which now ranks as the second largest dealership group in the world. Ironically, although all the dealerships incorporate Scottsdale into their names, they’re technically located in Phoenix, the city that benefits from all the tax revenues
generated by sales of those quarter-milliondollar cars—a thorny issue for the City of Scottsdale, which was understandably thrilled when the new Mercedes-Benz dealership opened in January 2014 on the southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Highland. “It’s an entirely different experience from buying a car at a regular dealership,” says Morgan, nodding in the direction of Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard to the south, where the lowly Chevy, Dodge, Buick, Ford and Hyundai salespeople toil. “Especially when customers are ordering a new car. They get to come in, spec out their car, choose the leathers and the paint and different trims. They pick the wheels, stitching, piping on the seats. We offer an opportunity for them to fly to New York to visit the design center Ferrari has there to create specialty designs, and they can even fly to Italy to tour the factory and do tailormade customizations, some really one-off things. One of my sales people was actually …continues on page 20
November 2015 Scottsdale Airpark News |
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