David Lee wanted the new Ferrari. He wanted it bad.
The multimillionaire watch and jewelry entrepreneur had his heart set on a LaFerrari Aperta, the open-top version of the ferocious Italian V12 super car. It would cost $2.2 million, and only 200 would be built.
Lee reckoned he had a good shot at getting one. After all, he already owned a garage full of Ferraris, many bought directly from the factory, part of a $50-million car collection he had spent years assembling.
He had a solid relationship with a powerful local Ferrari dealer. He had visited the Ferrari factory and attended the Ferrari driving school in Italy. He had purchased and restored vintage Ferraris and shown them at Pebble Beach and other exclusive concourse events.
He also recently had ordered four new Ferraris, hoping to improve his chances of getting on the exclusive and secret list of car collectors allowed to purchase one of the limited-run LaFerrari Aperta convertibles.
But Ferrari turned him down.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-david-lee-ferrari-20170615-htmlstory.html