He sells Ferrari LaFerraris for several million euros, and has a stock worth over £30 million (€35 million, $40 million). When Tom Hartley Jr talks about Ferrari, The world of supercar owners is listening attentively.
In a very long interview broadcast on YouTube, the famous British dealer specializing in classic cars and hypercars spoke at length about the new Ferrari F80. And his comments are far from kind. In his opinion, Ferrari is probably still the most powerful car brand in the world... but that doesn't mean the F80 is a success.
«A Lego brick with a V6».»
From the very first minutes devoted to the F80, the tone is set. The host compares the new hypercar from Ferrari to a «Lego brick», Tom Hartley Jr. doesn't really seek to defend the Italian model.
The salesman first explains that the context has changed. Manufacturers must now reduce emissions, electrify their ranges and adopt more compact hybrid powertrains. In his view, Ferrari no longer has much choice: to continue producing as many high-performance, profitable cars as it has, the brand must move to smaller engines and hybrid technologies.
But this technical justification is clearly not enough to convince him emotionally. He directly compares the F80 to the Ferrari Daytona SP3, which he considers one of the finest modern Ferraris ever produced. A car equipped with an atmospheric V12, with a spectacular design and already extremely sought-after on the market.
In his view, the contrast is stark: on the one hand, an SP3 Daytona with a naturally-aspirated V12 engine, produced in 500 units, and on the other, a more expensive F80, produced in greater numbers and equipped with a V6 hybrid. For Tom Hartley Jr, the main problem is simple: the F80 is an extremely high-performance car... but it lacks soul.
In the interview, the British salesman also talks about the price of the F80. According to him, once taxes have been added, examples exceed 4 million euros in some markets. A price that's hard to justify against an SP3 Daytona, which, he says, has more mechanical and emotional charisma.
He uses the example of Formula 1 to illustrate his point. According to him, if Lewis Hamilton were asked to choose between an old atmospheric V10 F1 car from the late 2000s and today's hybrid single-seaters, the Briton would probably choose the sonic and mechanical thrill of the older generations. In Tom Hartley Jr's view, modern hypercars are getting faster all the time, but are gradually losing what made them so attractive in the first place.
«I think the F80 is going to be a flop».»
Another highlight of the interview comes when he discusses the F80«s commercial potential in the aftermarket. Straightforwardly, he explains that he thinks the car could be a flop. According to him, many buyers will simply want to own »the new Ferrari before their neighbor", but few will actually fall in love with the car.
He also believes that very few people would spontaneously look at an F80 and think that it deserved several million euros. Yet despite this harsh criticism, Tom Hartley Jr immediately recognizes the strength of the Ferrari brand.
«Ferrari could sell anything»
In the midst of this discussion about the F80, Tom Hartley Jr drops a sentence that sums up his view of the Italian brand:
«Even if Ferrari sold you a bucket of horse manure, you'd thank them for selling it to you.»
A provocative statement, but one that above all reflects Ferrari's incredible aura in the automotive world. In his opinion, no other brand possesses such emotional and marketing power. Even when a model is highly divisive, Ferrari always manages to sell its entire production run. Tom Hartley Jr believes that nothing can really destroy Ferrari today, given the brand's position at the pinnacle of prestige motoring.
The Ferrari LaFerrari remains its benchmark
Tom Hartley Jr isn't criticizing Ferrari as a whole. Quite the contrary, in fact. Throughout the discussion, he explains that the Ferrari LaFerrari is still the best big modern hypercar to drive. He even prefers it to the Pagani Huayra on many dynamic aspects. He also asserts that a well-priced LaFerrari could sell immediately, as demand remains strong.
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