Ferrari GTO

I missed out on an extraordinary event this past week which occurred in Sonoma, California. Twenty-one of the entire production run of thirty-three Ferrari GTOs were brought together by Jean Berchon of Moët et Chandon celebrating the model's forty-fifth anniversary. It was an unusual gathering of cars valued at $18 million each in financial terms and of inestimable value in every other respect.

What has this got to do with life in a (junior) suite au septième étage? As it happens, I used to own one of the thirty-three. In fact, it served as my daily transportation for a number of years, which didn't deter me from entering informal racing events with it. Its three-litre V12 made noises that were primally exciting. Owning this car when I did was tantamount to having Brigitte Bardot as your girlfriend while you made your way from teenager to adult. It rather accelerated the process, you might say, and set very high standards indeed for the future.

I was speaking this morning with an old friend who used to own the famous Ferrari 'Breadvan'. Not too long ago, he was asked if he'd like to drive the car again. His answer was, "Only if I can crash it." Those who know Matthew understand full well the significance of his statement. It does tend to underscore the fact that current and future owners will never have the sort of experiences we enjoyed with these cars. Not that I wouldn't trade places with any of them!