Scuderia

    Scuderia (pronounced skoo-DAH-ree-AH) ... if you actually rolled your tongue at “ree-AH” and tossed in a hand gesture, you get extra points.

    What is it? It is an incurable disease.

    Is this a joke? No, this is a very serious condition. How do you know you have this affliction? Is there a cure? Can others catch it? We are here to help you get some answers.

    Here is a small list of common symptoms:

    When you say the word Testa Rossa you know it is a 250 TR. Conversely when you say Testarossa you know it is a 1980s TR. I do love a redhead, and brunettes now that you mention it...

    You can immediately recognize and identify a Ferrari by its taillights. “Honey, it looks like a 458 Italia; oh, it has four lights, so it has to be an F8 Tributo, right?” She just rolls her eyes again.

    If you drive fifteen miles out of your way to cruise by the Ferrari dealership, you might have symptoms.

    If you can recite the serial number of your Ferrari quicker than reciting your kid’s birthday, yep, you have the disease.

     If you structure your vacation around seeing Ferraris, you are certainly on the spectrum.

    There are other ways to determine how far the disease has progressed.

    Do you have more than 50 car magazines or books? 

    Do you REALLY enjoy the smell of race gas and oil?

    Have you eaten at Ristorante Cavallino or Ristorante Montana? 

    How many times do you turn around to look at your parked Ferrari?

    Do you know who Brenda Vernor is? 

    Have you owned more cars than your age?

    Do you think your wife’s fingernail polish should be Rosso Corsa FER 300/6 or a Nero Metallica FER 901/C?

    Have you ever identified an engine by its sound alone? “Sounds like a V12, no wait it’s a FLAT -12!”

    Do you wear red shoes and a Santander shirt even if you are not going to a car show? 

    Have you ever tried to name your children Enzo or Fangio? Severe cases have been recorded as being successful on this point.

    Do you have a room dedicated to your Ferrari? Do you still have the car posters you hung up as a child?

    In extreme cases the afflicted have been known to get Prancing Horse tattoos.

    If you answered yes to any of these examples, then we can be fairly accurate in our prognosis that YOU have Scuderia.

    Unfortunately, there is no known cure.

    Whether you have one Ferrari or a whole warehouse full of Ferraris. 

    There will never be any way to return to “normal”. Again, there is no cure.

    It is possible to downsize. 

    You can sell your cars and retire your clothes. You can just collect models, pins and stickers.

    But the thrill of a Ferrari can never be completely removed.

    These are true statements. It describes how I feel when I see a Ferrari or drive a Ferrari or OWN a Ferrari.

    A Ferrari genuinely increases my blood pressure. I get butterflies in my stomach. Do these cars do the same for you?

    Scuderia is a life changing affliction, it is a disease, it is contagious, and it will make you fawn over and spend money on inanimate objects for the rest of your life.

    If you think you have this condition, you should contact the professionals at Ferrari Market Letter; we can help you.

    Here at FML we know it’s not your fault and we can put you in touch with others who feel the same way you do.

    These cars have helped me meet some amazing people, drive some amazing Ferraris, make lifelong friends and gave me the ability to have the greatest job in the world.

    In all seriousness, the last issue contained a Ferrari Archives Registration form. These are extremely important, and we would appreciate your car’s data.

    Send us as much or as little information as you are comfortable with.

    Do you have data on a Ferrari you used to own? You can also email us! Please help us maintain and grow the largest database of Ferrari cars in the world.

    Ok gotcha, you still don’t believe this disease is real? It confirmed my suspicions when I saw the Michael Mann movie “Ferrari”. I enjoyed it greatly.

    I thought Adam Driver was superb in the role of Enzo. The movie confirmed that Enzo was a Superhero.

    He was an Italian National Treasure. He had an aura. People wanted to be around him, wanted to work for him, people wanted to race for him, wanted to speak to him, photograph him, etc.

    Enzo, his passions, and love for competition, brought the first cases of Scuderia. I saw it accurately portrayed during the movie and I have seen it with my own eyes since my own diagnosis in 1982.