Posted on Tuesday, August 1, 2017

The Ferrari of Los Gatos Story

Brian Burnett and Richard Rivoir had a dream. They wanted to sell Ferrari’s. The Silicon Valley business they started in 1976 became the best-known Ferrari dealer in the world.

This blog tells the story of Ferrari of Los Gatos and corresponds with a book, THE DEALER—Fast Cars, Powerful People, and What Happens if You Blink, that is a work in progress. If you have a Ferrari of Los Gatos memory, please share it here.

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Below you’ll find the first post to start the Ferrari of Los Gatos story.

Rise and Fall of the Best-Known Ferrari Dealership

by Jim Ciardella

Los Gatos, California, was the home of a Ferrari dealer. As a kid, that’s all I knew about that little town. I grew up in Palo Alto, 45 minutes north. And the thought of a Ferrari made me shiver with excitement. Seeing or hearing one stopped me from whatever I was doing to watch the […]

Persistence Created the Opportunity

by Jim Ciardella

To be appointed a Ferrari dealership today is virtually impossible. When Brian Burnett and Richard Rivoir decided to try, it wasn’t that easy either. Richard had heard no every time he asked Modern Classic Motors (MCM), the Ferrari distributor in Reno, Nevada that appointed dealers on the West Coast. He’d made many trips with his dad […]

With No Fear You Can Accomplish Anything

by Jim Ciardella

Brian and Richard grinned from ear to ear like schoolboys as they cruised in Brian’s Porsche down the highway toward Nevada. Vern Keil, General Manager of Modern Classic Motors had called to let Richard know the dealership paperwork was ready to sign. This was one huge step towards making their dream come true. They arrived […]