Italian Grads Dream of Maranello Sheep

Glenn Swanson
by Glenn Swanson

CNN Money recently named Google as America's number one workplace of choice. Among the Googliscious perks: free meals, a swimming spa and access to on-site doctors. Some 1300 people apply per day. In Italy, college grads seeking similar satisfaction send their resumes to the home of the Prancing Horse. Paddock Talk reveals that a study by Stockholm’s Universum Communications says Italian engineering, science and economics students consider Ferrari their ideal workplace. Ferrari’s training initiatives, culture and wellness plan make for a happy workforce. Yeah okay, but what about “employee pricing?”

Glenn Swanson
Glenn Swanson

Glenn is a baby-boomer, born in 1954. Along with his wife, he makes his home in Connecticut. Employed in the public sector as an Information Tedchnology Specialist, Glenn has long been a car fan. Past rides have included heavy iron such as a 1967 GTO, to a V8 T-Bird. In between those high-horsepower cars, he's owned a pair of BMW 320i's. Now, with a daily commute of 40 miles, his concession to MPG dictates the ownership of a 2006 Honda Civic coupe which, while fun to drive, is a modest car for a pistonhead. As an avid reader, Glenn enjoys TTAC, along with many other auto-realated sites, and the occasional good book. As an avid electronic junkie, Glenn holds an Advanced Class amateur ("ham") radio license, and is into many things electronic. From a satellite radio and portable GPS unit in the cars, to a modest home theater system and radio-intercom in his home, if it's run by the movement of electrons, he's interested. :-)

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  • Nopanegain Nopanegain on Jul 16, 2007

    Nick, I have seen guys in my neighborhood not be able to score with the actual vehicle. Saying that you designed the HVAC system on the Scaglietti doesn't exactly sound like an aphrodisiac. But I do like your idea of being an indentured servant to drive one...

  • Nemphre Nemphre on Jul 16, 2007

    I must be one of the only people who loathe Ferrari and most exotic brands. To me, the fact that they are constantly breaking down and cost a fortune to maintain is just poor and unacceptable engineering. I can pay 200k for an exotic that breaks something every week, will cost another 50k in maintenance and repair, and spend an untold amount of time in a service shop, or I could buy a used Toyota for 7k that I wont have to do anything to. Something is very wrong with that. Not that a Toyota is in the same class, just that you can spend next to nothing compared to an exotic and get vastly superior mechanical quality. Even though the Acura NSX was terribly overpriced, at least it was reliable. For that reason, I'd take it over any Ferrari or Lambo. Didn't Ferrari admit that their customers are their QA testers?

  • GEMorris GEMorris on Jul 17, 2007

    Nemphre: If you want an exotic that isn't always broken I think you have to look to the semi-exotics, i.e. maserati and aston. Not quite the performance, price, cachet, or headaches.

  • Tech98 Tech98 on Jul 17, 2007
    Didn’t Ferrari admit that their customers are their QA testers? In the early 80s, Ferrari had a run of poor-quality engines in 308s with terrible oil-burning issues. When the dealers complained, the factory response was to modify the recommended service interval -- just change the oil every 1000 miles, they said...
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