Bloomberg Audio Studios podcasts radio

news.

>> I'm Hannah Elliot

>> and I'm Matt Miller. This is Hot

Pursuit.

>> First up, we really just want to hear

about this latest purchase of yours.

This the the car, the white, the special

one. Yes. Yeah.

>> Can you just tell us first of all how

did you first had you been looking for a

GTO?

Where did you see this? What's the story

behind the purchase?

>> Sure. Sure. Sure. you know, um I you

know, I you know, the the thing about it

is um I didn't even think about um

buying a GTO, dreaming about GTO,

uh you know, or any of that because 250

GTO to me was just way beyond like any

attainable situation. I mean, people

might say the cars that I have now, the

supercars, uh, are unattainable or or

dream cars, but I did dream about those

cars. My 288 GTO was my high school

dream car. When I saw it in the Road and

Track magazine, I I wanted to have it. I

didn't think I could really be be able

to have it. Now, obviously, I have red

and yellow in it. But um uh you know and

all the supercars I just kind of was

focusing on that and and trying to get

that and and and having the set of the

the red and yellow and of course the new

and then uh the the new the new stuff

like the the uh SP3s and things like

that SF90XX fighter, but I never could,

you know, was thinking about a 250 GTO.

Matter of fact, my I I did uh and I've

been looking for a long time for a 250

short wheelbase. Uh, and because I

thought, well, that's maybe something I

can find, but I didn't. I never, you

know, uh, found the right one or

whatever, but it wasn't.

>> There aren't that many of them.

>> No, there isn't. You know, the But I

love the short wheelbase. Short

wheelbase California obviously was also

seemed like, okay, but I didn't never

thought about the 250 GT. But, but I did

that, you know, uh, my my people

reminded me. He goes, "Hey, David, look

at the video in in Pebble Beach uh last

year in August in in Monterey. I was

walking through the Ferrari lawn at Kasa

Ferrari and I saw some GTO's and and I

remember that I think Makeum was already

at that time promoting that they there's

John Shirley's uh Blanca Speciali White

uh uh 250 G2." So, I was just like, "Oh,

yeah. Maybe maybe I'll get that, you

know, maybe that'll be something, you

know, like honestly wasn't I wasn't even

serious about I was just like, "Okay,

whatever." You know, and um and so I I I

I mentioned that I forgot about it. And

then as I was getting close to uh the

auction, uh my people um uh Kevin Cohen

said, "Hey, you know, the the GTO is

going to be in Las Vegas. I think Mum

has something in Las Vegas. What do you

think?" I said, "Okay, well, you know,

let's um you know, go out there. I'll

send my mechanic Mike out there to check

out the car. see see if it's how legit

it is, know everything about it.

>> What did you tell him to look for at

that point? What what did you say to

him?

>> Yeah, I mean, you know, in my

experience, and I obviously I have a

number of classic road Ferraris, but um

you know, it's important uh and I I I

pay my share dues of of buying the wrong

ones. And

>> we talked about that.

>> I love the stories.

>> Yeah. And and so I wanted to send my the

smart way uh is always to send your your

guy if you have a guy to check it out,

you know, to see how it's restored, if

it's restored, see if all the parts are

uh the kind of the original parts or the

right parts on the car. Uh see if the

car starts up and and if there's any any

problems with that. Uh see all the

blemishes that are um that are on there

and underneath the car as well. So my my

my guys have been trained so well that

they checked out everything and I coming

back I knew this the the the condition

of the car and that's really important

because the condition of the car

dictates the price. It dictates the

price of of the car. Uh it's not just

you know one model it's all the same

prices. It dictates that and um and so

forth. So and all the stuff that comes

with what what is all the parts that

comes with uh and and so I knew

everything about it. Um, and it was

worth sending them out to to to to do

that research.

>> Did they come back?

>> What did they Yeah. Go ahead.

>> Yeah. What did they what did they say? I

mean, we we know everyone knows the

result because I think it's the

certainly most famous um car purchase at

least this year. Uh, so you say the

condition dictates the price. Did is

that how you got it for 38? Is that a

good price do you feel?

>> Well, first of all, uh, 38 was a good

price. I I believe this car with the

condition that I've seen uh is

definitely a 6070 million worth car.

Now, um there could be a lot of recents

uh where um the perhaps maybe the buyers

for those cars were were not at the

auction uh were not the right time uh in

the year or or perhaps the venue that

they're used to going to buy these cars.

uh you know which which could could be

the situation but no so understanding

this too you know 250 GTO was a race car

right it was a race car was a very

special race car because prior that the

250 short wheelbase was was was doing

very successful in all the tracks uh the

250 GTY is so special is uh Ferrari at

that time uh was the first time they

they engaged the Pisa University to uh

to study uh uh uh the car how how to

make it more aerodynamic, using

aerodynamic to it besides a big engine

and and the lightweights and everything,

but um you know and wind tunnels and

everything to to to make the car more

special, more aerodynamic, faster,

better performance and and which is very

special. Um, you know, race cars back

then, uh, again, they were, um, you

know, they change out engines, they blow

they blow up engines in in in the in the

races, they crash, they get they get

fixed, they get repainted, it's all part

of the natural course. So when people

say, you know, maybe he didn't have the

original engine, although this one, um,

John Shirley had brought it back, had

Ferrari make a new engine,

a perfectly speced out engine, uh, Kasa

K, which is important, the red book in

there. It has, so it came with the race

engine that it raced in many of the

races that uh, uh, they had in history

in period and, uh, the the engine that's

in there now, it's the Ferrari rebuilt

the engine. Um, but you know, the fact

that it, okay, previous owner painted it

red and then John Shirley painted it

white back to the Ferrari white uh

color. Um, all that really doesn't

matter because it's a 250 GTO and it was

a race car. So, it it it it comes with

doesn't come um it it comes with the

history that it has it which is a lot of

people a lot of cars don't have the

original engine. Uh, a lot of cars have

been crashed and and and rebuilt uh or

repainted. So, you know, I don't think

that was the reason.

>> Yeah. I've heard that so many times that

like anybody who thinks they're going to

get a quote unquote completely original

race car, it is that doesn't even exist

because the these are it's like the it's

what is it called the ship of thesis

paradox where you're constantly

replacing the parts of the ship. So,

>> yeah.

>> Yes,

>> you would and you would do that, right?

I mean, you know, in race racing all the

parts, how do you how do you get

more?

>> Yeah. It's it's you know you do that and

at that time they weren't thinking um

you know everything has to to to match

and original and everything. I mean the

road cars I know they do that people

have this road car uh valuation

mentality but when you come to race car

it's a totally different mentality

totally different way of looking at it.

Uh it's an alloy car you know alloy body

car. It's 2,000 lb 300 horsepower. Uh,

you know, and there's a lot of other

parts that they they have um the

accessory parts that they they put on it

for when they race. You know, there's a

lot of all the parts too that they they

put on it for different races and and

things that I have. It's like I have a

big, you know, two container I mean two

boxes of um container of of parts that

they switch out wheels. They switch out

uh various lights and vents and things

like that in order to uh um um to attack

each race. And and this car has has has

placed and has been driven by very

famous drivers, you know, like Graham

Hill. It was one of them, the Triple

Crown winner. Uh so it it's been raced

by important um racers. It's been been

in a lot of important races. It's um

it's placed uh in there and of course

the model 250 GTO has was dominant in in

that time uh in all the races. So, it's

um it's definitely a very and and you

know, it's the only one painted in

white, you know. Uh it's very special.

>> Special.

>> Yeah. Um right-hand drive. There was

eight out of uh uh the 36 that were

right-hand drive. That's not a problem

to drive, you know. I mean, no, nobody

has a problem with I wanted to ask you

about that. Wasn't Yeah.

Hard to drive.

>> Yeah. Not at all.

>> Have you David, have you driven it? Are

you going to drive it around California

or will you just keep it in the garage?

>> No. No. I've been driving it. Uh I I

when I received it, I drove it around

the block uh uh uh a couple of days and

then that and then um a weekend I took

it home uh which was like a 40 mile

drive to home and I took it to my

country club and you know where where I

saw that photo

>> drive it. Yeah, I drove it around. I

drove around the whole time. I went to

to some of my friends gave a ride, gave

my wife a ride, you know, and and uh and

uh cruising around all over. Um

>> can you tell us what Yes. Sorry to

interrupt. Can you just give us a sense

of what does it feel like to drive? What

is the personality? You drive so many

different cars. What is the personality?

Cuz everybody says these cars are

magical. Really magical to drive.

>> What is the personality of this car?

>> Sure. Sure. Well, you know, I I really

did get to um understand that uh uh and

know the difference because, you know, I

have a 250 Aluso Competition, 275 GTP 4

cam, 330 GPS, 365 GTP for the Corona

Spider, and a uh and a resto.

So, I do know classic car uh very well.

Ferrari classic cars. Uh they're of

course steel body. So, that's a big

difference because this is the alloy

body. Again, it's 2 uh,000 lb, which is

very light. Um, it's it's it's three um

300 horsepower. Now, you know, the the

other the other thing, you know, you

think, okay, well, 300 horsepower. Um, I

remember back in the 80s with the

supercars were doing 060 in 5 seconds,

which was a big deal. Wow, 5 seconds,

you know, 060, you know, the

Lamborghinis or whatever the cars. This

car in 1962 was already doing 5 seconds.

Um, you know, it's a race car, so it's

not, you know, it's got disc brakes, you

know, the balance and the and the and

the suspension, everything is is, you

know, like a race car, so it's very

tight. It's not like very like like a

like a boat or or very kind of um it's

it's it's not very big. I mean, a lot of

people when they see it, they go, "Oh,

it's kind of small." It's not a big car.

Uh, and and so you it it it really the

driving experience is amazing. Of

course, the the gearbox, the the gearbox

uh uh the gated gearbox is is

tremendous. The power uh on the car uh

and the and the and the sound is is

tremendous. But I think it's because

it's a race car in the way it it it

built. Um the aerodynamic that that was

um designed into it. Uh it's a race car,

but also a a road car that you can drive

home after a race. That feeling is the

best classic car I've ever driven. like,

you know, just just there. It's all

there. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the

suspension is tight and, you know,

everything is just all there, man.

>> I look at your So, I've been watching

you, like I said, for for many years on

YouTube. I love the um the videos you've

done on your 250 Lusso because I love I

especially love the livery. It's the

white one with the like Italian flag

colors over the middle.

>> And um

>> how does it compare to that? Like, I

don't know much about Ferraris. Hannah's

the expert there. and also on classic

cars. But to me, I always thought 250 is

250. Like the Ferris Buer car must be

the same as your Lusso must be the same

as the GTO. I've only recently learned

that there are differences, but

>> how how do they compare to you? You've

driven more more than one. So,

>> yeah. So, so the two my 250 Lusso

competition, you know, the uh the 250

Lusso was never really a race car, but

people brought it back to to kind of

soup it up to to have a lot of race

parts and then they raced it anyway. So

my mine was one of them. But um so so

the setup of the uh V12 Columbbo uh uh

engine, the sixcarb engine um is is the

setup on my 250 Lusso is I I guess you

can say is is very similar. I had a

regular Lusso and it was much slower.

Uh, but the the the I would say the

closest to this 250 GT is my 250 Lusso

competition, but but still um everything

else, the weight of the car because it's

steel instead of alloy, uh the

suspension, um the the the gearbox, um

you know, just just the way it's

designed, you know, with the

aerodynamic, it still drives like like a

world of difference. Um you know,

compared to my 250 Nuso uh competition.

So, um, it it it's,

you know, I mean, when you drive a

classic car, you're going to say, "Okay,

you know, you can it kind of, um, you

know, the roll or or the the the turning

and the bra." Well, you know, my two

even my 250 Lo Competition is drum

brakes. This was already using disc

brakes, you know, you know, in in, you

know, Yeah. back then. I mean, it's it's

very ahead of its time. It was it was

built with race car technology. uh

unlike all the other road cars that I

have.

>> That's so cool. David, we're going to

take a break. Um and then when we come

back, I really want to get into your

origin story with how you got involved

with all of these cars. So, more with

David Lee after this.

We are back with David Lee, a Ferrari

collector and jeweler extraordinaire.

And um David, we're talking about your

recent purchase of a 250 GTO, which is

seen as like the pinnacle of uh car

collecting as far as I understand it as

a newbie, right? I'm kind of a I'm a a

layman here, but is it um the ultimate

car that a Ferrari collector can can can

attain? I mean, are you a little worried

that after the honeymoon is over here,

like there's nowhere else for you to go?

>> Yeah. you know, uh, first of all, uh,

um, you know, I I think the 250 GTO is

to all car collecting the holy grail and

the the endgame of collecting. It just I

don't know, it just probably is. It's

been the most expensive car uh sold at

auction. I mean, even my car, I think,

is probably the fifth most uh in the

record of most expensive, fifth most

expensive car sold at auction. But I

think um, but certainly for Ferrari, uh,

you know, yeah, I mean, it's it's it's

really the the holy grail. it's really

the endgame. It's really like what do

you collect after this, you know? I

mean, um, but I always think that and

always something surprises me like, oh,

something comes up. Wow, I got to have

that or or I want to have that. But I

can't imagine it right now. I mean,

because this is like I'm still, wow,

this is incredible. I I really have a 2

250 GTO is only 36, you know, and um,

you know, uh, 33 in series one and and

like just the the the most famous guys

in the world has this, you know, uh, in

their possession. And I have.

>> Have you met the other Have you met the

other guys, David? Do Do you know Nick

Mason from Pink Floyd?

>> You know, I don't know Nick Mason. Uh I

will I do plan to I I look forward to

meeting them because every five year

there's a 250 GTO uh uh u reunion and I

know next year um uh 2027 will be the

next one. Um I think it would be the 65

year uh reunion. So I look forward to

meeting them. Uh and and matter of fact,

but I but um I do know Chip Connor and

um John Hoy and uh which has one um and

they I know when when I when I won the

auction, they called me and and

congratulated me and it was really uh um

really glad that uh and they said all

the kind of the the car community was

was really glad that I got it and and

cuz you know and so and they welcomed me

to the fraternity of the uh 36 that that

have it. Uh and uh that is some rare I

was

>> Yeah,

>> I have to say I will say that I as when

I heard it was you, I was very happy

too. And when when I think about it,

>> you are the only Ferrari collector that

I actually know of. Um I'm thinking

besides Glicken House, I guess he counts

also, uh because of the content that you

put out and because of what you share.

And that's what I think is so great

because you share your joy and your

passion. And when I watch your videos,

it's like so clear that you're in love

with with these vehicles and that you

really care and you want to show them to

the rest of the world. Like what do you

plan on doing with this? Are you going

to use it in your business? Are you

going to use it in your uh in your

philanthropy? um what's the what what

are your ideas or your hopes of um you

know utilizing this this 250 GTO?

>> So so Matt first of all um thank you for

saying that. Um, you know, it is

interesting because I think I'm a a

modern collector, a modern car collector

that is somebody that would that have

collected to be the GTO, the super cars,

and the new cars, you know, like like I

I guess what what I uh uh what in my

collecting as a modern collector uh to

be in the three categories, all all

three categories of collecting is is

quite rare because usually let's say the

guys that have 250 GTO, they they just

do the classic cards and or the new guys

have just the new cars and and very

seldom do you have somebody that cross

all boundaries to have to have all the

different cars and and that just means

that you know you you understand the car

from his origin from I don't know 1962

to to the present which I do um and so

that that's kind of rare that that um

that that's that and and and of course

to so movement is my purpose you know I

I think I I want to uh bring bring uh

people to you know it's a rare card a

lot of people don't even see it and

stuff I want to be able to

uh that experience of of me discovering

about the car, enjoying the car and and

and and kind of um you know put that um

on on on online so that people other

people can experience it through that uh

you know through that experience. I want

to you know bring it to uh concourses,

car shows. I mean a car show, local car

show. I might roll up in it and then

people will be like what you know in the

car show. I do that. I do that. Um, and

uh, you know, and uh, I I have a spot on

Jay Leno's garage in April. You know,

we're going to go and Jay's going to,

you know, drive to me and and do that.

Uh, I have concourses that I'm already

kind of signed up for. Um, also, you

know, because everything, you know, I do

I have I do with synergy, you know. So,

my business has a lot of synergy with

with being like this Saturday, I have a

cars in Chronos. But what I but what the

cool thing is it's going to be the

unveiling of the 250 GT. So, at um, you

know, people are going to drive their

cars. are going to be in my lot and and

socialize and meet and at some point I'm

going to open my garage and and I'm

going allow people to come and see all

my cars, of course, including the 250

GTO. So, I I I let people have access to

the cars and um and which which I think

people appreciate and uh you know, I'm

not I'm just not like, oh, you know, I'm

super scared. I'm not going to let

anybody see it. And I do plan to you

mentioned the philanthropy. I do plan to

I don't know give rides to you know um

uh what is it? Make a wish or other

other different charity functions that

um that uh or functions that that uh

raise money for uh charity. Uh you know

if if that if that helps to uh bring

awareness and bring um people to support

uh these uh kind of uh philanthropy uh u

charities and and nonprofits. I I don't

mind doing it if I have the time to do

it. I I do plan to use that.

You

>> you do men mentor uh young men as well,

don't you?

>> That's part of your is that more a

business on the business side of things?

>> Well, I I I've been I'm I'm on the board

of the USC business school. Um so I give

back and and and I speak guest speak at

USC uh um in the business in the

business classes. Uh I do have a uh a

mentorship um a professional mentorship

program that uh successful entre young

entrepreneurs uh have joined like I have

20 uh mentees right now that I I coach

them weekly uh to um you know to about

about business but about life too and

and about what's important about life

and what's life about but but about

business and and and me and uh uh a USC

senior USC professor we both do it

together as kind of a really giving

back. Um but uh but so those those those

people that um that join our um Titan

Education Inner Circle, I think they're

getting a lot out of it. Um they really

love it and the group has become very

tight themselves

>> and I

>> they'll get to see uh White 250 GTO at

the right-hand drive.

>> Oh yeah. Yeah, 100%. They definitely do.

>> Can you give us a little background on

on your family? Obviously you are the

owner of Hingwali Group. was that was a

family business, right? Can you tell us

about you how how have you arrived at

this position to be able to

>> afford these cars and to be mentoring?

Give us some of your your background and

what you learned from I'm assuming it

was your father who who uh passed the

business down to you.

>> So So I'll share with that. So just to

kind of uh uh put out there a lot of

people says, "Hey, you know, how did you

afford this car? Is it is it drugs or

laundry money or whatever?" No, none of

that. none of that is is happening. It's

it's it's through hardworking uh making

money, doing business, grinding, uh to

to to achieve that. But anyways, I'll

give you the background. U you know,

we're we're from Hong Kong. We're

Chinese. We're from Hong Kong. Uh my uh

I was born in Hong Kong, but I I

immigrated here when I was very young,

but we were we were always going both

coasts. And uh my my father in uh 1965

started a gemstone um carving

manufacturing in Hong Kong. And uh so he

was doing that and uh uh event mentioned

in the in the um uh early 80s we we

immigrated to US. Uh we we were selling

you know again selling the gemstone

carvings and uh maybe find jewelry uh

jade jewelry and in a wholesale capacity

uh to other retail jewelers uh like us

throughout the United States. We we've

done that in the 80s. Uh I think my

father was successful in that uh because

the 80s was very uh uh uhh uh just you

know strong economically

and um uh so so so he had done that he

had bought a lot of uh real estate very

conservative my father was and uh when I

joined the business in 1990 after

graduating from USC business school uh I

joined it during the bad the worst kind

of the you know a bad recession um it

was probably the worst one since the

subprime and um and I and so I I joined

the family business as a second

generation but then um it was um you

know people I was going around going

around were not making money because

people were uh couldn't buy couldn't

afford you know economy was bad they

weren't buying stuff u uh the jewelers

and uh or if they buy they couldn't pay

so I I had to come up with a new plan I

and I after a year of working with my

dad I said I suggested hey why don't we

change to retail you know because retail

it's cash and carry some you know you

don't have risk there and and you can

kind of control your uh your your

smaller local demographic better with

marketing. And so he says, "Okay, um

let's do that, but you have to run it.

It'll be your gig and you have to run it

because I'm kind of tired. I don't I I

don't want to do that anymore. I don't

want to uh you know, because it was not

this was something I we never done

before, retail uh actually uh we were in

wholesale and manufacturing. So uh I

said yes, I'll do it." So I uh you know

uh started in that uh found a store,

built the store, hired people. You know

we've never had so many people working

for us before. I had to you know at that

time the company was small. I had to be

the sales manager. I put my sales man uh

manager hat on. I put my marketing hat

on. Put my accounting hat on, my

purchasing man hat on and and all that.

All I had to wear all the hats. Uh

worked seven days a week. I opened the

store first. I closed the store and I

didn't really have a life. and um and

just just crying out. But but you know

what I did what I what I was thinking

was I'm not going to let my dad down. He

he he he says okay do this and and I'm

not going to let my family down. I'm not

going to just there's uh failure was not

an option to me. So I just you know uh

grind that and and so you know in 1993

is when I opened the store. Um so I've

been at this for quite a long time over

30 something years. uh and uh but but

with with with um you know I was able to

uh get the Rolex franchise uh for the

Chinese market or the Asian market in

the and uh in the St. Gibbo Valley which

is a strong market with Rolex in 1995.

Uh uh and that that was um a very

special moment a change in the in our

the milestone of our um you know

business and and and other brands start

coming and and and wanting us to

represent them. So, we represented more

than 25 different really luxury high-end

brands. We started expanding uh and um

at some point we also um said, you know,

I don't we won't want to rent the store

from from from landlords to have our

store. We want to, you know, own and

build our own stores. I think that was a

a very important element. So all our

stores right now stores and offices is

our own property because you know when

you when you when you pay when you pay

every month let's say a rent you can't

be paying mortgage instead of rent and

and you you would own the property and

then as time goes by the the the

property appreciates. So that's also

what people don't understand. U because

there's a lot of jewelers but they a lot

of times they rent and and all the money

they pay every month is gone. you know,

um, you know, the the the biggest

expense to a to a retailer is is the

employee payroll. Second is the rent.

So, it's a big number, but, um, you

know, so we we're able to do that, but I

I I think through my um through to

through me being on the helm, uh, and of

course, you know, I own I own the

company, uh, have owned the company now

for quite some time. U, you know, I I

was able to diversify where my father

was a little more conservative. I'll

diversify into you know uh the

investment of cars, investment into

tech, investment into other

entrepreneurial companies and uh and

then growing my my company. So I think

the hinga group as together uh the

retail, the the real estate and the

investment side all come together is is

after 35 years it's become quite quite

quite a strong um company. Uh and I'm

happy to say my son will be uh have have

committed to join as a third. I was just

going to ask I was just going to ask if

you're passing it on to the next

generation, you know, we're lucky. We're

lucky.

>> What is your son most interested in?

Does he like the watches? Does he like

the cars, the investment, the real

estate? What's his what's his gig?

>> So, so okay. Yeah. Yeah. U so I'll tell

you, um, you know, he graduated from USC

undergrad, which was great for business

school. He worked for a few a few years

for a big corporate and now he's at

Wharton uh Upen Wharton for his MBA.

He's got two years there and then he'll

come back. And so he he'll be fully

equipped uh to to handle everything. Uh

but he he is into the watches, you know.

Um a lot of my friends um they they're

you know they have successful business

but their kids don't want to take over

their dad's business. It's kind of

boring. It's not sexy or whatever. Um

you know you know the tech is really

drawing a lot of people to want to do

that. We're not we're not a tech

company. We do have tech component

because we invest. But um but but he

likes the watches because watches is

popular right now with with everybody

with with all the young people. Uh and

so that that that side kind of um has

encouraged him to want to u be uh part

of the business.

>> So that's awesome.

>> Let's take a break here. We're going to

have one more quick pause and then more

with David Lee right after this.

We're back with David Lee and we're

hearing I mean initially we wanted to

talk about the Ferrari 250 GTO and I

mean I think we got enough out of the

way. I'm fascinated in the business and

um just as a you know I'm not deep into

the watches either but I love um a nice

watch. I prefer to wear, you know, I

have a a Sea Dweller that my wife got me

when I turned 50, which um is cool

because it's also the 50th anniversary

edition. So, like me me and the watch

turn 50 at the same time. Um what is

interesting to you just quickly in the

watch world because we know you love the

Ferraris. I've seen your 250 Lusso and

uh the 275, the 330, the 365 and all.

Um, what do you like in terms of watches

or what does your son like if he's more

of the expert on the horological side?

>> Yeah. Well, you know, actually, uh, it's

funny car guys and watch guys are many

times are are the same, you know, uh,

because, um, just as cars are

mechanical, uh, and and and and and the

way you look at it and and and

appreciate it and buy and everything,

the watch is the same. It's also

mechanical. through mechanical you know

the the brands has a certain DNA just

like the cars certain brands have DNA uh

uh the functions you know uh a watch can

be really high uh function uh uh uh

complicated which that's the area I like

I like the high complication watches to

to see what a a human um uh workmanship

yeah and technology can make

>> yeah and and cars uh I mean watches can

do that as well as cars so it's very

it's very aligned it's very easy to

appreciate a watch, a fine watch making

uh uh if you're if you appreciate cars

or the other way around. If you

appreciate uh watches, you appreciate

cars. I just see that really merging. Uh

>> do you have to be David? Do you have to

be brand agnostic because you represent

so many brands or can you tell us a

couple of your favorites?

>> Oh, you know, um yeah. No, no, I I I

think um you know, I I think Rolex, I

really do appreciate Rolex. Rolex is

almost like the Mercedes of of of uh

watches, right? Uh it it it does um it's

it's it's hype uh branding you know the

brand the name is so good uh the quality

is unbelievable I went to the Ro Rolex

factory and the way they go through the

R&D and making it it's unbelievable um

and so you know and they got the two

sides you the manufacturing is the

German side of the Swiss people and then

and then the marketing is the French

side of the Swiss people so like they

got they got it covered you know you

know yeah they got it covered you know

um and uh so they're they're great I

think they're great Um, I think um, you

know, uh, uh, Briges are are really

great, you know. Uh, Bron Pong's really

really great. Um, I think Cardier also

makes a great product. Cardier.

>> Um, yeah, they just they Yeah, they're

just so so good. Um, and uh, so no, I I

I I actually I think um, the way I would

recommend to people is that it's not

just a only one brand. It's depends on

what you're looking for, right? If

you're looking for a sport watch uh or

or or um you know or you're looking for

a dress watch or you're looking for kind

of a daily watch or you're looking for

something that's really high

complication, you know, I can steer you

to a brand that's good for that, you

know, and it's not just one brand at

all. You know, it's it's the best of

everything, you know. There's no one

brand that's best of everything. So that

and that's why I carry 25 I represent 25

different brands.

>> Wow. Wow. Well, David, too. Yeah. Say

that last part. I missed it.

>> I said there's also there's also

different price points too, right? Let's

say for example, you know, uh uh uh uh

you know, you like Rolex, but you you

know, it's a little bit over your price

range. Well, a tutor, which is the a

brand that they make is a sister brand.

It's the it's the same technology, but

it's and it looks very similar. It's

it's it's priced a lot lower uh so for

people to afford, but it's got the same

Rolex technology, Tudtor, for example.

So, that's kind of cool. Yes, it is.

>> David, I'm going to put you on the spot

a little bit. We We've been talking a

lot about what we think is the car of

the century, Matt and me, because I'm

I'm writing a story about what I'm

saying going to call the car of the

century, the car that's had the most

impact since 2000.

>> And I'd love to know if you had to say

your car of the century,

>> what would that be? It could obviously

be with anything. It doesn't have to be

a Ferrari. We'd love to to know what you

would think.

>> So, it would be a car that is built

after the 2000. You mean?

>> Yes. That's the tricky part. It can't

be.

>> Okay. It's the last 20 26 years. So,

which car you think is the most

important?

>> There's so many.

>> The most important vehicle in the last

26 years.

>> Well, here. Let me think about this for

a second. Wow. There's so many that's

coming to mind right now. It's like

>> we're not going to hold you to it. You

can say

>> I had the same thing. She asked me live

on air last week and I it took me a

second to I had to go through a few

guesses before I came up with my

ultimate answer.

>> C can I have a couple and the reason

why?

>> Yes, please.

>> Yes. Yes,

>> please.

>> All right. So, um I would I would say uh

one is the uh I'm sorry I know I I I I'm

guess myself in Ferrari. I only know

Ferrari really well. I don't know the

others really well. So, I would have to

you know, it would have to be a Ferrari

for me. Um, I would say two cars I'm

thinking right now off my top of my

head. One is the SP3. Um, the SP3, uh,

because u, you know, it's part of the

Icona series. There's FP SP1, SP2, and

then SP3. And it's a V12 naturally

aspirated uh, mid engine, uh, uh,

mid-position engine, uh, carbon fiber

chassis. And but the design of it uh

looks so beautiful, you know, and and

and people right now I would I would

think if you did a survey, most people

would say that's their favorite Ferrari

uh that that Ferrari came out with. It's

not the fastest because it's not about

being fast, it's or highest performance,

but it's about the nostalgic and the

rich uh the nostalgic feeling of uh the

car, which which this SP3 is. uh and um

and so that I would say that one has the

big has a a big impact on the generation

today's generation right now uh uh and

for Ferrari and and so forth. The other

one would be the uh the F80 which is the

newest the the six supercar um that for

uh Ferrari made in the supercar family.

Now the supercar family for Ferrari

every 10 years they come out with the

ultra um high performance um car uh to

kind of uh to celebrate their their uh

uh uh anniversary every 10 years. Uh the

six supercar F80 is a car that is um

believe it or not now V6 uh uh turbo

with electric engine hybrid combining

together uh to give I don't like,200

horsepower or something. uh the the the

aerodynamic is is is is really in place

to to give it that that uh the the most

the the highest edge of performance. Uh

the the the F technology they use

borrowing from F1 to to place in this

road car is also really revolutionary.

Um it may not to a lot of people look

like the the prettiest cars because a

lot of times the most aerodynamic cars

are not the prettiest cars but it it it

will perform to uh the craziest

situation. A lot of people, well, it's

not a V12 or anything. It does. The new

technology, the new engineer doesn't

have to be a V12. It's a V6 engine. Uh,

and and and it's going to produce so

much horsepower and and performance that

um that I think is going to be the car

that uh defines the uh the generation uh

going forward.

>> I love these.

>> David, what do you think about that?

What do you think about that progression

from, you know, a beautiful design, a

V12 with carbs, a gated shifter to now

we're at Ferrari just sells you like a

box of computer chips that drives

itself. Like it doesn't even have to be

something you own. It's an NFT. It can

be just like in the in the interwebs.

How come how come you're okay with them,

you know, getting away from the

mechanical intimacy and

>> embracing just like technological

supremacy?

>> Yeah. Well, you know, um I think Ferrari

is is is uh first of all, the racing is

very important to them, you know, being

the the best and the and the fastest and

highest performance. I think

>> and they don't win. They

try they they make their best effort,

but they they they're still short of it.

And

Yeah. But uh they but but I'm just I'm

just saying that's important to them,

you know, that's important. And then

they're filtering into the road cars uh

that they want to make it also high

performance and and so you know what is

that? Where do they get the highest

performance? You know, it's the hybrid,

it's the maybe it's even the all

electric, right? Which are you know

people like wow how can Ferrari be doing

that? But that again, that's why they

came out with another line, this Icona

um series, which is the SP1, SP2, and

SP3. And they're going to come out with

the SP4. I heard it was uh the rumors

are saying it's kind of a redo of of the

F40. Uh but with gated, bringing back

the gated shifters, you know, manual

drive. And again, those Yeah, those are

not the fastest cars, but it's it's cars

that we're going to enjoy driving. You

know, we don't want the fastest car

right now. I mean, Tesla is a plenty

fast, but I don't I don't, you know,

that's not a car that I like, right? I I

I want to have more engagement and and

with the car, which is why I actually

like the classic cars. I mean, the 250

G2, I I like it because there's no

computers. It's all you driving. It's

all your technique. It's a heel window

toe because there's no synchro on the in

the shifting. All the gauges is

important. You got to watch all the

gauges because if you know your if it

overheats or something is too hot, the

car is going to going to have a problem.

you have to watch all that. And when you

drive that car on the track or anywhere,

you you you're the the pilot. You have

to be the one fully engaged to do that,

you know. Um there's no computer that's

going to have make it semi-drivable for

you, you know. And so I like that. And

so that that's and I think a lot of

people like that too, you know. Uh maybe

not to the extent that that that I do,

but but they still want to be able to

control their car and not let it be

fully automatic. So um but I think I

think Ferrari in today's you know being

a a publicly held company uh the

pressures from the uh Wall Street and

and and the and the stockholders they

want to um have more product and they

are they are definitely having more

product to meet more the uh the various

demands of the people. It's people that

want electric cars people that okay well

hybrid people that want but but you do

see in the auctions a lot of the um cars

have gone up in price. You know, I knew

the 458 was always going to uh uh go up.

Um the 430 Sudaria, the 360 challenge

cars, a lot of those cars have gone up

in in because because they're still um

not you know, not the the hybrid or or

with the computers and everything.

They're still uh have a lot of uh uh uh

uh you know just just a visual feeling

to it and and so those prices of those

cars are going up because of uh of that

reason. So I think you're going to

continue to see that. Um but but um

yeah, I mean it it's it's they're trying

to obviously reach more of the masses of

the various people's uh likings.

>> Do you think they'll come back with like

I figured a Roma or an Amalfi would be a

perfect car to put a gated shifter back

in for the masses? And I say that in air

quotes because obviously not everybody

can afford a two or $300,000 car. But

I would I would like some access not

just the Icona series but you know their

their daily driver should be off for the

three pedals.

>> Right. Right. Right. You know the thing

is Matt as as you know a lot of young

people they don't even know how to drive

stick shift right now. Manual manual

transmission. So I don't know if that

represents the the mass right now. Uh

and uh and and believe it or not a lot

of a lot of young people I mean I know

for my kids they don't even like to

drive you know they just call Uber and

that's like you know they just want to

go from A to B. What's the fastest? they

don't have to worry about it. Uh they

don't even know how to like like like I

mean they depend so much on the GPS, you

know, to tell them how to go somewhere,

you know, like they don't know how to do

it themsel without GPS. They don't know

how to go anywhere, you know. Um and and

it and so it's a different mentality of

how they are. Um so I think it's it's a

certain market that likes the manual

drive like you and I do. uh the stick

shift and stuff and um and I think

that's why unfortunately that as I heard

they're not gonna they're not going to

um offer that to um like Porsche that do

offer which is cool but um Ferrari is

not going to offer those um uh in in

their regular production cars and and

they are just they're like doing us a

favor to give us give it to us in the

Aona.

>> They're telling us we should be

grateful.

>> Yeah, exactly.

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> Well, David Lee, thank you so much for

your time. We are thrilled to have you

here. Please come back and educate us

more. We need it.

>> Oh, sure. Anytime. Anytime. I'd love to.

>> I really appreciate it as well. Thank

you so much.

>> That does it for this week's show.

Remember to follow and subscribe to Hot

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hotpursuit bloomberg.net.

And you can check out my columns and

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won't find anywhere else. Find it all at

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I'm Hannah Elliot along with Matt

Miller. We'll be back in your podcast

feed again next week.