My 1991 Ferrari 328 GTS.

Multiple Ferrari owner Len Watson, 63, says classic low-mileage Ferraris have been sitting idle for too long. “These are actually very reliable cars that won't give you any problems if you use them regularly,” he says. “The problem is people keep them in damp garages and the tires go bad and the tires get bald spots and they get really bad. Cars with very low mileage are not as good as cars with much higher mileage.”

"I put 70,000 miles on my 328 (1991 Ferrari 328 GTS) - very hard miles - and we only spent about 2000 (about $3875) on repairs in about 12 years." When he talks about hard miles, he means hard miles on track days, hill climbs and classic races. He currently competes in various Queensland Drivers' Championship events in a 1980 Ferrari 308 GTB. Next year he intends to perform in full force.

The retired UK software company owner began his love affair with old cars with his first three-wheeled British Frisky with a bored 250cc two-stroke Villiers motorcycle engine in the back. It cost him 18 (about $34) in 1966 and only about 100 were made.

“It was quite unusual as its top speed was 70 mph (112 km/h) forward and 70 mph back,” he says. “I got to about 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) in reverse. “He was driving in reverse when you stopped him and started the engine in reverse. There were four speeds in both directions. Changed to "Our Metropolitan", "then there were boring cars for a long time."

The last new car he bought was a 1979 Triumph TR7, then he switched to a Porsche 924 Turbo, and in 1983 he wanted to “upgrade” to a 911. “I hated them. In the 80s, Porsche didn’t work at all,” he said. “My wife said why don't you buy a Ferrari, so I bought a 2+2 Mondial 8 that was a couple of years old,” says Watson. “I had it for a year and then I bought a 3.2 liter Mondial QV (Quattrovalvole) as a company car. They were expensive, but in those days you didn’t waste money on a Ferrari.”

“However, the classic car bubble started in the late 80s and people were buying cars for stupid money, so going to customers in a classic Ferrari was a little stupid because they thought you were stealing from them. So I switched to a Porsche 928 as a company car.”

However, Ferrari's mistake returned in 1991 when he bought a Ferrari 328 GTS, which he used and abused on track, competition and hillclimbing days. “After all, it's just a car,” he says. “Cars like those traditionally built on chassis can be replaced with bats. Modern cars wobble and cost a fortune to fix.”

About five years ago, Watson migrated to Australia, sold a 328 and brought with him a left-hand drive F40 that he raced in the Classic Adelaide Rally. When he moved to Queensland, he couldn't register a car without converting it to right hand drive. “Because the car is made of carbon fiber, it is almost impossible to convert it, so I got special permits a couple of times,” he says. "But if you can't drive, I don't need it, so I sent it back to England and sold it."

He was "no Ferrari" for about two years and then returned to the UK in 2007 to race in the classic series and get his international racing license, so he bought a 1980 "invisible" 308 GTB. It was a mistake. The engine was worn out and needed a major overhaul,” says Watson. “But I still have it. The reason I have an old Ferrari is because it is suitable for historical racing and there are more opportunities for historical racing than conventional racing."

His plan for an international license was to race a friend's $15 million Ferrari 250 GTO at Le Mans. However, his friend decided that the car was "too expensive to risk the race". The thought doesn't even cross Watson's mind as he takes his 328 to the Queensland circuit for the first Italian Motorsport Festival, October 2-4.