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King of the road with 40th Ferrari
Owners of classic 'prancing pony' sports cars worth £2m turn heads at Leeds restaurant
Andrew Robinson
SCHOOLBOYS stopped and stared and grown men sighed.
There were plenty of admiring glances as a dozen of the finest Ferrari sports cars lined up outside a Leeds restaurant yesterday.
Passersby stopped to take pictures on their camera phones, a young boy could barely control his glee and owners of more modest motors could only look on in awe... and not a little jealousy.
But for Leeds businessman Chris Meek yesterday was just another day in his love affair with the Italian sports car maker.
Mr Meek yesterday took delivery of his 40th Ferrari, the new and much anticipated 130,000 F430 – the first to arrive in Leeds.
The former racing driver bought his first Ferrari in 1971 and has owned dozens of different models in the last 35 years, including an Enzo which has a top speed of 217mph.
However, he is not a collector of Ferraris and usually only ever has one or two models in his garage. His other car is a Golf GTI and his wife, Svetlana, drives a Maserati.
Specialist car dealer JCT600 Brooklands yesterday hosted a gathering of Ferrari owners to say thank you for their custom. The assembled motors would set you back close to 2m – if you could persuade the owners to sell, which is unlikely.
Mr Meek and Jimmy Savile were among those who attended the event at the Flying Pizza restaurant in Roundhay, Leeds.
The Leeds-based industrialist said his love centred on their "performance, sophistication" and acceleration.
"It's the sheer joy of the handling, the acceleration. It's the feeling of safety. When you turn into a corner, even at a very fast speed, you are relaxed and don't have to fight the car. A lot of other sports cars look great but you don't have the same confidence as you do in a Ferrari. And I have driven virtually all modern and old sports cars. I would have a Ferrari for the sheer exhilaration," he said.
Asked if there was a downside to owning a Ferrari, he said that petrol consumption could be a bit high.
"The jealously (that used to exist) has gone. Young guys shout 'I love your car' and ask how I afford it. I just tell them 'work hard and you can have one'. I have never had someone scratch my car. We have become more like America."
Mr Meek said the fastest he had driven in a Ferrari was 217mph – which happens to be the top speed of the Enzo model.
He declined to say where and when, but he does currently have a clean driving licence.
"At 217mph, if the car feels safe and you are comfortable you feel great. I have driven motorbikes at more than 185mph and that feels more like 300mph.
"A Ferrari feels absolutely safe at speed – road holding is the best. The first thing I do when I get in a Ferrari is turn off the electronics (such as traction control), so then I am in control."
andrew.robinson@ypn.co.uk
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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