It’s my job to bring you all news of interesting automotive industry developments and cool car-related videos. I must admit, though, that blogging about one of my favorite Ferraris, the 456 GT, doesn’t feel like work at all.
JT Nesbitt makes his living creating motorcycles in Bienville Studios. Even though he bought a modern Ferrari, a 1997 456 GT, he did so with an appreciation and respect for old fashion cars.
He didn’t just want any prancing horse. He wanted one in the mold of Enzo Ferrari’s personal car, a 330 GT 2+2 with a V12 up front. But Nesbitt had to have a 4-seater with a classic 65-degree engine, the signature stainless steel shift knob and a frame, as opposed to a unibody. The Michael Schumacher-developed 456 GT was the one for him.
His experience is similar to that of Rob Ferretti’s with a 360 Modena. Blinking lights in the instrument cluster and other foibles, such as windows that don’t go all the way up, a transmission that won’t shift into second when the fluids are cold and a delicate reverse gear. Luckily, Nesbitt is friends with “the best Ferrari mechanic on the Gulf Coast.”
If your occupation pays you enough so that you can afford a 456 GT, you should start looking for one now. Nesbitt says they have hit their depreciation floor.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
