The Residual-Value LoopNarrow moat

Ferrari (RACE) — moat facet

A queue can only exist because the car at the end of it does not lose money, and that is a fact about the used market rather than the new one.

The reason a queue can exist at all is that a used Ferrari does not behave like a used car.

The residual-value loop, and what Ferrari says breaks itWhy it mattersValue after ownership promotes repeat purchasesWhat holds it up13,640 cars a year against ~300,000 ever builtRisk Ferrari discloses (1)More production vs the collector baseRisk Ferrari discloses (2)Hybrid and electric may resell at wider discountsRisk Ferrari discloses (3)Personalised content depreciates substantiallyAll three warnings are in the FY2025 20-F, on a mechanism the queue depends on.
Ferrari names residual strength as a driver of repeat purchase, then lists three ways its own growth plans could damage it.

Ferrari makes the connection itself: demand is driven by price and total cost of ownership, and "resilience of the car value after a period of ownership is an important competitive dimension among similarly positioned luxury cars, because higher resilience decreases the total cost of ownership and promotes repeat purchases."1 A car that holds its value costs less to own, which makes the next one easier to justify.

That is the loop the controlled volume strategy protects. Scarcity supports residuals; residuals lower the real cost of ownership; low ownership cost sustains repeat demand; repeat demand refills the queue; the queue justifies the scarcity.

Ferrari also names the two things that could weaken it, in its own risk language. Producing more cars relative to the number of collectors may reduce their value as collectible items and in the secondary market.2 And higher personalisation content — the very thing driving revenue growth — "generally depreciates substantially with change of ownership," because the next buyer did not choose the specification.3

So the two levers Ferrari is pulling hardest, volume and personalisation, both push gently against the residual values that hold the model together.

The number is the secondary-market premium on limited series, which no filing reports and every client watches.

Moat trajectory: Holding steady

Residual values have held, and the limited series continue to trade above list. What is new is that the personalisation push and an electric transition both press on residuals in the same direction.

The number that tests this moat
Moat Explorer calc
Revenue per car shipped
~€484,000 in Q2 2026, from ~€431,000

High resale values make buyers willing to pay more for the next car. Revenue per car climbing shows that loop feeding pricing; a fall would show it weakening.

How it's calculated: Cars and spare parts revenue ÷ deliveries: €1,629M ÷ 3,366 (Q2 2026); €1,507M ÷ 3,494 (Q2 2025).
Source: Ferrari Q2 2026 results ↗
⚠ Threats to the moat
References
  1. ReportedFerrari makes the connection itself: demand is driven by price and total cost of ownership, and "resilience of the car value after a period of ownership is an important competitive dimension among similarly positioned luxury cars, because higher resilience decreases the total cost of ownership and promotes repeat purchases." A car that holds its value costs less to own, which makes the next 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. ReportedProducing more cars relative to the number of collectors may reduce their value as collectible items and in the secondary market. And higher personalisation content — the very thing driving revenue growth — "generally depreciates substantially with change of ownership," because the next buyer 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. ReportedAnd higher personalisation content — the very thing driving revenue growth — "generally depreciates substantially with change of ownership," because the next buyer did not choose the specification. So the two levers Ferrari is pulling hardest, volume and personalisation, both push gently against the residual values that hold the model together.
    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