For some, a passion for cars is passed down over a Sunday drive. For Neil and Sterling Fairman, it was built... in the pits. Ferrari. From the age of 4, Sterling accompanied his father to the circuits. While Neil raced in the Ferrari Challenge, the young boy would hang out in the paddocks, helping the mechanics clean the rims or take care of the cars between sessions. An environment that shaped an early and visceral passion for racing.
This immersion soon became a ritual. Weekend after weekend, father and son share the circuits, developing more than just a hobby: a unique bond.
From karting to racing... together
Logically, Sterling moved from the paddock to the wheel. Introduced to karting at an early age, he took part in a series of national competitions between the ages of 8 and 16. Talented, he even won several titles, including two championships at Homestead. But beyond the results, it was above all the father-son relationship that strengthened. Travelling together, racing together, experiencing the same emotions... competition becomes their common language.
Until they took the symbolic step of racing in the same car. They took part in a GT race at Homestead, before having an even more memorable experience at the Miami 500. That day, they didn't just share the wheel: they won the race. A victory that sums up years of complicity and passion.
A Ferrari collection built by two
If the track has welded their relationship together, their other playground is their garage. The Fairman collection, centered around Ferrari, is the fruit of a joint construction. It all began with a Ferrari F430, Sterling's first landmark car, then a real turning point came with the arrival of the 458 Speciale.
From then on, one opportunity followed another. The two men began to build a coherent collection, guided by their sometimes differing tastes. Neil favors atmospheric Ferraris, faithful to the brand's purist DNA. Sterling, on the other hand, is attracted by more radical, more raw, more racing-like cars. But this duality doesn't pit them against each other. It enriches their collection.
Today, they choose their cars together, visit Ferrari side by side and take part in prestigious events such as Monterey Car Week at Pebble Beach.
Dream Ferraris... once hung on walls
For Sterling, this collection has an almost unreal dimension. The models he owns today are not insignificant: they are the ones he admired as a child. The ones he displayed on his bedroom walls. The ones he reproduced in miniature. «These are the cars I had on my bedroom walls,» he confides. His favorite period? The years 2008 to 2018, an era he considers a golden age of the automobile. Cars that were still analog, emotional, and already extremely high-performance.
Among his favorite models, the 458 Speciale Aperta holds a special place. As for his father, he has a particular admiration for the Daytona SP3, for its naturally-aspirated V12 and its link with Ferrari's legendary prototypes.
Despite their involvement in the world of collectors, Neil and Sterling remain attached to what's essential: their relationship. The events, the networks, the community... all take a back seat. Their pleasure lies elsewhere: in a Sunday outing, a track day or a Grand Prix weekend, particularly in Montreal, where Neil has been visiting for decades.
Their ambition goes even further. They see this collection as a legacy, a family history that can be passed on to future generations. For them, cars are not just a passion or an investment. It's a means of transmission.
«Make it a family activity»
For those who want to start collecting cars, their advice is simple: don't follow trends, follow your own desires. And above all, share your passion. «Make it a family activity,» insists Sterling. «That's what creates the best memories.»
Neil goes along the same lines: involving your children, going on trips, attending races together... all experiences that far exceed the value of the cars themselves.
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