I Bought the
Monk's Ferrari
I Bought the
Monk's Ferrari
Ravi Subramanian
First published in 2007 by
Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd.
7/16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj
New Delhi 110002
Sales centres:
Allahabad Bengaluru Chennai
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Copyright Ravi Subramanian 2007
Cover design:
The views and opinions expressed in this book are the authors own and the facts are as reported by him/her which have been verified to the extent possible, and the publishers are not in any way liable for the same.
This digital edition published in 2012
Ravi Subramanian asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
e-ISBN: 978-81-291-2191-2
All rights reserved.
This e-book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated, without the publishers prior consent, in any form or cover other than that in which it is published. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, print reproduction, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Any unauthorized distribution of this e-book may be considered a direct infringement of copyright and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
Dedicated to all those:
Who are not astronauts, but reach out to the stars Who are not pole vaulters, but leap above the bars Who are not in Fl, but drive in the fast lane and for whom anything but a Ferrari, will be a big shame.
Contents
Acknowledgements
To the Fiat Motor Company, for the Ferrari they have created.
To my wife, Dharini, for all the compromises she made; her support, when I was writing this book will never fade from my memories.
To my daughter, Anusha, who is proud of methe author, forgetting conveniently that I have better accomplishments as a banker.
To all the readers of my first book, which became a bestseller in the very first month of its release.
Thank you all.
Prologue
There was a young boy, who belonged to a typical middle-class familywhich, like all other middle-class families, ran only on two wheels. His parents, a college professor and a school teacher, struggled to educate him and his brother. Even though they had to go beyond their means to do this, they did not compromise on quality. They gave their children the best they could with their limited means. The only time this young boy saw a four-wheeler was when he and his brother would furiously pedal to school, their bicycle wheels leaving behind a trail of dust. The first time he saw his parents progress in life was when his father bought a scooter when the boy was ten years old. But that was it. He aspired for a four-wheeler, which was never to be. He would see in magazines, movies and be taken in by the fancy cars that presented themselves in full gloss. As he grew up, a dream started brewing in him. He, who had pedalled a bicycle all his life, wanted more. And, when he decided to reach out for more, he aspired for the best. Not only did he aspire for a car, he aspired for the king of the cars ... the Ferrari.
Ferrari ... when most people come across this word, they think of two thingsspeed and sport. It is one of the most sought after cars in the automobile history. On the race circuit, it has set the track on fire, winning more races than any other car. Not only does it have a tough and furious demeanour, it is also as much a graceful and delicate car.
Since the first one came to existence around seven decades ago, Ferrari has been a panache incarnateit defines not only Italian style, but global style, as well. Ferraris have been referred to as the ultimate status symbol, a rich man's toy, an answer to a mid-life crisis, a proof of piles of stock moneyand if that was not enough, as the finest of cars in the world. Depending on whether one is speaking out of envy, disdain or admiration, a Ferrari is all of those and more. A Ferrari is not about individual spec sheet of an automobile. It is a dream.
As with all dreams, a Ferrari takes a while to come true. The assembly line produces a mere twenty-seven cars a day a little over five thousand a year. With the exception of the engine, each one is handcrafted and is unique.
Ferrari founder, Enzo Ferrari (1898-1988), built the first car in 1940. However, it was not till after the Second World War that Ferrari started making cars bearing his name, founding today's Ferrari S.P.A. in 1945. However, the present Ferraris are more sleek and futuristic, compared to the past models. Over the last few decades, their price has raced ahead like the racing cars themselves, with the price being over $1,50,000 per car.
For the young boy, this racing car was a dream, an aspiration, his vision of success, and the awaited destination at the end of his long winding journey.
His dream car, Ferrari, took its real shape when he happened to glimpse it for the first time, from the aeroplane window, while embarking on his maiden journey in the pursuit of a career in Delhi. True, he was far, far away from the Ferrari but the sight of it only strengthened his resolve to ride in it.
The second sighting was when he chanced upon one from close quarters. He ogled at it, chased it, and then pledged to acquire it. He was within breathing distance of someone else's Ferrari and realised that this could be his, one day. The thought of owning a Ferrari, made him feel happy, feel elated, feel elevated. The dream could become a reality, after all.
And then he took a ride in a Ferrari. The first time he got behind the steering ... and felt the pulse, the exhilaration and the adrenalin ... he felt the Ferrari. That was when he realised that he could control the levers. The drivers which were required for him to successfully acquire a Ferrari were in his own hands. It was entirely upon him to be successful, to be a winner. The Ferrari could be his if he did the right things required for it.
The first section of this book marks the beginning of his pilgrimage, during which he faced monstrous hurdles and adversities, but he learnt lessons that led him towards making his dream real. Then come the Ten Commandments, not from God to Moses, but from life itself to all those who dare to aspire. They are the traits and characteristics of all those who have earned their Ferrari and that which the readers need to imbibe and demonstrate to get closer to it. And, the last section of the book, details as to what a Ferrari actually is, and why it is so important for each and every individual to aspire for a Ferrari.
Enzo Ferrari had once said: The greatest thing a race car driver could do, would be to die behind the wheels of my car.
He could not have got closer to reality than this. Not only every sports car driver, but every individual in this world, wants to acquire the car that he built, the car with the prancing black horse in a yellow background on its boot. This car epitomises success, achievements, happiness and all that a person seeks in life.
Through this book, that young lad, i.e. me, shares with you his rendezvous with the Ferrari and the Ten Commandments he learnt in the process, which will in turn, guide the readers in their journey to the destinationthe elusive Ferrari.
The Journey Begins
One
The Journey Begins
May 1993
'Passengers travelling to Delhi by IC 812 please pass through the security check and wait for your boarding call.'
