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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 dealership in the world.

This blog tells the story of Ferrari of Los Gatos and corresponds with a book 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.

Posted on  by Jim Ciardella

Rise and Fall of the Best-Known Ferrari Dealership

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

Posted on  by Jim Ciardella

One Astonishing Phone Call Created the Opportunity

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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. In 1976 there were 51 Ferrari dealerships in the US, mostly in California, selling a few new Ferraris and an occasional used car. Brian and Richard, two young men with a dream, […]

Posted on  by Jim Ciardella

Put it All on the Line to Win

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Brian and Richard grinned from ear to ear like schoolboys as they cruised in Brian’s Porsche down the highway toward Nevada. The opportunity to talk with the West Coast Ferrari distributor about a dealership was one huge step towards making their dream come true. They arrived at Harrah’s hotel in Reno, checked in, and impatiently […]