The Three Hundred Thousand Ferraris Already BuiltNarrow moat

Ferrari (RACE) — moat facet

Ferrari's most unusual competitor is its own back catalogue, and it controls exactly how dangerous that becomes.

The only place a Ferrari can be bought without permission is from someone who already owns one.

The competitor Ferrari built itself~300,000Ferraris built since 194713,640built in 20250permission requiredto buy a used oneStrong residuals promote repeat purchase - Ferrari names it as a competitive factor.
The only market where a Ferrari can be bought without an allocation is also the best available evidence that the scarcity is real.

Roughly 300,000 Ferraris have been built since 1947, and the secondary market for them is the one channel Ferrari does not control. A buyer unwilling to wait years, or unable to secure an allocation, can go and buy a car today — and in doing so competes with Ferrari for their own money.

Ferrari treats this as an asset rather than a threat, and it is right to. Strong residuals lower the total cost of ownership and promote repeat purchases, which the company names as a competitive dimension.1 A healthy used market is evidence that the scarcity is real, and it is the mechanism by which a Ferrari functions as a store of value rather than a depreciating one.

The relationship turns hostile only if Ferrari builds too many. Its own risk factors say so: increasing production relative to the number of collectors "may adversely affect the value of our cars as collectible items and their value in the secondary market."2 And heavily personalised cars depreciate more, because the next owner did not choose the specification.3

So Ferrari's most unusual competitor is also its best evidence, and the company controls how dangerous it becomes.

Watch auction results on limited series. They are the only public price signal on whether the scarcity still holds.

Moat trajectory: Holding steady

Residual values on recent models have held and limited series continue to trade above list, so the secondary market is still evidence for the moat rather than competition with it.

The number that tests this moat
Reported
Shipments, first half
6,802 in H1 2026, from 7,087

Each new car adds to the stock of used Ferraris that competes with the next one; Ferrari keeps that stock scarce by shipping fewer, and a rising count would dilute the residual values that sell new cars.

Source: Ferrari N.V., second-quarter 2026 results press release (SEC 6-K exhibit) ↗
References
  1. ReportedStrong residuals lower the total cost of ownership and promote repeat purchases, which the company names as a competitive dimension. A healthy used market is evidence that the scarcity is real, and it is the mechanism by which a Ferrari functions as a store of value rather than a depreciating one.
    Ferrari N.V., Form 20-F FY2025 — Item 4, sales and distribution, client management and the controlled volume strategy. Ferrari sells in over 60 markets through a network of 181 authorized dealers operating 195 points of sale as of the end of 2025; its largest dealer accounted for approximately 3.0% of shipments in 2025 and its fifteen largest dealers for approximately 25%. As part of supply and demand management, allocations are determined by geography and by dealer based on various metrics including expected developments in the relevant market, the number of cars sold historically by the various dealers, the current order book of dealers and the average waiting time of the end client in the relevant market; an order reporting system allows Ferrari to collect and monitor information regarding end client orders and assists in production planning, allocation and dealer management. Ferrari relentlessly focuses on preserving product exclusivity and nurturing its client community, rewarding loyal clients through driving events and other initiatives and, most importantly, offering its most loyal and active clients preferential access to its newest, most exclusive and highest value cars. Competition among similarly positioned luxury performance cars is driven by price and total cost of ownership, and the filing states that resilience of the car value after a period of ownership is an important competitive dimension because higher resilience decreases the total cost of ownership and promotes repeat purchases, which Ferrari believes is a strong competitive advantage. Its controlled volume strategy contemplates a measured increase in shipments above current levels as it targets a larger customer base and modes of use, increases its focus on periodically rejuvenating its customer base and creating new Ferrari collectors, and its product portfolio evolves with a broader product range. It sold 13,640, 13,752 and 13,663 cars in 2025, 2024 and 2023. — FY2025 · publ. 2026-02 · source ↗
  2. ReportedIts own risk factors say so: increasing production relative to the number of collectors "may adversely affect the value of our cars as collectible items and their value in the secondary market." And heavily personalised cars depreciate more, because the next owner did not choose the specification.
    Ferrari N.V., Form 20-F FY2025 — Item 3.D, Risk Factors. The filing states that its focus on maintaining exclusivity limits its potential sales growth and profits. It warns that increasing production relative to the number of collectors may adversely affect the value of its cars as collectible items and their value in the secondary market, and that the resilience of the value of its cars after a period of ownership promotes repeat purchases. On personalisation, it warns that a higher level of personalization content may also adversely affect residual value, because personalized content generally depreciates substantially with change of ownership. On electrification, it states that electric technology is a core component of its strategy and that if the introduction of such technology proves too costly or is unsuccessful in the market its results of operations could be materially adversely affected, and that other manufacturers of luxury sports cars may be more successful at implementing it; it also warns that the shift to hybrid and electric models may adversely affect residual values if secondary sales occur at wider discounts than for combustion cars. Additional risk factors address dependence on a single production site in Maranello, the performance of independent dealers, and the risk that the interests of its largest shareholders may differ from those of other shareholders. Among the named risks and uncertainties are the success of its racing activities, and the sponsorship and commercial revenues and expenses of its racing activities as well as the popularity of motor sports more broadly. The filing states that revenues from sponsorship, commercial and brand activities are influenced by the strength and appeal of the brand, the historical success and current performance of its racing teams through Scuderia Ferrari in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship and the Ferrari Endurance Team in the World Endurance Championship, and the overall popularity of Formula 1 and other racing competitions. — FY2025 · publ. 2026-02 · source ↗
  3. ReportedIts own risk factors say so: increasing production relative to the number of collectors "may adversely affect the value of our cars as collectible items and their value in the secondary market." And heavily personalised cars depreciate more, because the next owner did not choose the specification. So Ferrari's most unusual competitor is also its best evidence, and the company controls how dange...
    Ferrari N.V., Form 20-F FY2025 — Item 3.D, Risk Factors. The filing states that its focus on maintaining exclusivity limits its potential sales growth and profits. It warns that increasing production relative to the number of collectors may adversely affect the value of its cars as collectible items and their value in the secondary market, and that the resilience of the value of its cars after a period of ownership promotes repeat purchases. On personalisation, it warns that a higher level of personalization content may also adversely affect residual value, because personalized content generally depreciates substantially with change of ownership. On electrification, it states that electric technology is a core component of its strategy and that if the introduction of such technology proves too costly or is unsuccessful in the market its results of operations could be materially adversely affected, and that other manufacturers of luxury sports cars may be more successful at implementing it; it also warns that the shift to hybrid and electric models may adversely affect residual values if secondary sales occur at wider discounts than for combustion cars. Additional risk factors address dependence on a single production site in Maranello, the performance of independent dealers, and the risk that the interests of its largest shareholders may differ from those of other shareholders. Among the named risks and uncertainties are the success of its racing activities, and the sponsorship and commercial revenues and expenses of its racing activities as well as the popularity of motor sports more broadly. The filing states that revenues from sponsorship, commercial and brand activities are influenced by the strength and appeal of the brand, the historical success and current performance of its racing teams through Scuderia Ferrari in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship and the Ferrari Endurance Team in the World Endurance Championship, and the overall popularity of Formula 1 and other racing competitions. — FY2025 · publ. 2026-02 · source ↗
Sources
Generated September 23, 2026