At the end of the 2006 season, it was a day of heightened emotions for the paddock particularly for Scuderia Ferrari. Felipe Massa had a dream weekend, winning the Grand Prix in front of his home crowd. On the same day Ferrari and Formula One were also saying goodbye to seven times World Champion and racing legend, Michael Schumacher.

The sleek and elegant Ferrari automobiles bring out deep rooted emotions in just about every enthusiast, and the beautiful red F430 Spider to which I held the keys brought every hair on my body to attention like a platoon of fresh Army recruits. Before me, under the F430’s clear glass engine cover, sat an artist’s vision of a V8 engine, complete with nearly 500 horsepower beckoning to me.

Anything with a prancing horse on it seems to sell like crazy these days.  Ferrari flags, Schumacher caps, fire-engine-red scale models, embroidered polo shirts, and, of course, sports cars. The waiting list for the U.S.-market 360 Spider stretches into the first quarter of 2004, factory-fresh 360 Modena coupes call for at least twelve months’ patience, and even the V-12-engined heavyweights aren’t available on short notice.