Ferrari F355 GTS

MEMBER’S CAR: FERRARI F355 GTS

Written by: Rob Ward

A quick swipe down Piers’ Instagram profile will alert you to what can only be described as an eclectic mix of classic and modern cars. From a pre-war Ford Model A to a fully restored Jaguar XK150 and a recently sold Huracán Perfomante amongst others. It is refreshing to see such variety, but I was desperate to know the origins of such choices.

A self-confessed impulse buyer of all things automotive, Piers has what is, in my view, an enviable and endearing collection of cars, the older of which come with many a story, and everything has a name. For example, ‘Rosina’ the Rolls Royce Silver Spirit was previously owned by Piers’ grandfather. Having been sold out of the family, it was later tracked down by Piers and bought back after a five-year search. A rainy trip to check out the condition of the then very poorly Rolls resulted in its inevitable purchase. A full restoration later, the car now has pride of place in the garage next to the F355! The Model A, described by Piers as being 1% safer than a motorcycle on the road really appeals to me as such a rare experience and something for those sunny Sundays. There’s a photo you can see on Instagram of ‘Winifred’ at the side of the road during a drive out last year. The caption at the bottom reads, “What a perfect day for it – I’ve not broken down, I had to stop to get my hat back!”. These little snippets into Piers’ life with cars answered many of my questions in only a few minutes of research. There isn’t anything specific about what meets the criteria for each purchase, it isn’t even nostalgia in most cases that prompts Piers to make another crazy purchase, it’s the love of anything with an engine and the want to try something he’s never tried before.

From our hour-long chat, it is evident that many of the cars that have entered the collection have been bought on what can only really be described as a whim. The F355 was bought during a visit to a dealer with a friend to service another car altogether; there were no plans to purchase anything that day. Piers didn’t even know this 355 existed that morning, however, he came away with it after some negotiation and it remains one of his firm favourites, shared fifty fifty with a close friend. ‘Bluebell’ has been in the collection since September 2017. There have been a couple of very subtle changes since; a small suspension drop, some interior tidying for that well-known sticky dash syndrome they all seem to suffer from, and more excitingly, a Capristo exhaust, which just seems to lift the tone and give a better sense of occasion as the revs climb. “The 355 is the one car I own that will make me take the long way home. Then, when I get home, I’ve not had enough, so I will go back out again for more”, Piers explains, “Last year’s Caffeine and Machine meet (forgetting the pheasant incident) meant that there was a drive for a purpose, as well as the huge appreciation the car received at the end of the drive there. It’s one of those cars that just suits how I drive. I like a car that’s easy to drive. If it’s easy to drive, I’ll drive it more. The 355 is there when I want a modern classic to have a bit of a hoon!”.

The loose plans behind the collection are that there’s a car for every occasion, be that a track day, casual Sunday jaunt or hot laps in aid of the Children’s Trust at Goodwood. Each car serves a purpose and fulfils a need in Piers’ life, and I think that’s the ultimate goal. We’ve all listed our ideal five-car garage, haven’t we? “What I love about the 355 particularly is that you have all the feel of an older Ferrari, you feel everything. You need to be on it mentally otherwise it will try and kill you but you do feel like you’re an integral part of it when you drive. That being said, it isn’t so needy that you can’t dial the pace back a bit and still have a chat as you drive, or drive it long distance without getting out feeling 20 years older. That’s what is special about that car”. Although the car is a GTS, Piers isn’t one to take the roof off and keeps it in Berlinetta mode. I can’t help but think there’s some fun to be had with that Capristo exhaust with the roof panels removed but I can’t talk, I’m only saying that as I’d doubtfully get into it without the roof removed.

The 355 seems to get a lot of respect wherever it’s driven. Piers seemed to have a very unjustified fear of arriving at an event in it, being surrounded by the more modern cars we all see and love and the 355 not really fitting the bill, but it’s nice to hear that every time it gets an airing, it seems to draw a crowd. The Caffeine and Machine event last year was a typical example. It was appreciated by so many, and getting the joy from the drive as well as seeing others enjoy its presence is a damn good reason why it will be a long while before it goes. “I really like having a garage of cars that don’t have monthly payments, and I don’t need to worry about putting miles on them so I can enjoy them if I want to, or if they don’t turn a wheel for a month, it doesn’t matter as it hasn’t cost me anything”. For me, this was nice to hear. I think, as a member at perhaps the entry-level of budget for qualifying cars, there’s an element of pressure to push yourself to go bigger and better, to keep up so to speak. Cheap rate finance has made cars so much more obtainable these days but, as Piers eluded to, if you’re spending four figures every month on finance, you can easily be torn between wanting to use the car to get the most out of the money you’re spending and then not wanting the pile the miles on a car if it is sensitive to that for the eventual value at the end of the term.

To be able to break that mould completely and have a collection of cars, all of which are of a lower value, well maintained and completely fulfil every automotive need is certainly food for thought. What did make me smile is that, just like me, Piers will see a car and instantly turn to Auto Trader to look at values and start to justify why this could be the next purchase. “I am rash when it comes to buying cars. I will buy a car that’s the wrong colour for me, just because I want that car. Then I will see one in the colour I want and wish I’d got that. It’s costly. The hardest thing with a frankly irrational want to try anything and everything is reining it in and asking myself when would I actually use this and what does this give me that my current cars don’t”. This all being said. It was clear from Piers when we spoke that it wouldn’t be long before a replacement for the departed Performante arrived, and the F355 has since been joined by a McLaren 675LT to fulfil the modern supercar ’need’!