Tom O’Riordan will tell you he is “100-percent Irish,” but as president of the Naples Ferrari Club, he could be called its Direttore Artistico — that’s Italian for Artistic Director — for coordinating the club’s wildly popular Cars on 5th extravaganza every year since 2005.
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Stephen Hayford
2004 Ferrari 360 Spider owned by Tom O'Riordan of Naples.
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Stephen Hayford
2004 Ferrari 360 Spider owned by Tom O'Riordan of Naples.
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Stephen Hayford
2004 Ferrari 360 Spider owned by Tom O'Riordan of Naples.
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Stephen Hayford
2004 Ferrari 360 Spider owned by Tom O'Riordan of Naples.
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Stephen Hayford
2004 Ferrari 360 Spider owned by Tom O'Riordan of Naples.
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Stephen Hayford
2004 Ferrari 360 Spider owned by Tom O'Riordan of Naples.
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Stephen Hayford
2004 Ferrari 360 Spider owned by Tom O'Riordan of Naples.
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Stephen Hayford
2004 Ferrari 360 Spider owned by Tom O'Riordan of Naples.
The festival is the undisputed highlight of the Southwest Florida car season. Cars on 5th has grown from a modest show with 100 entries on Third Street 17 years ago to the city’s highest-attendance single-day event with 50,000 car fans last year, viewing 575 exceptional automobiles from American and foreign antiques and classics to fiery Ferraris.
Over the years, the event has raised $750,000 for St. Matthew’s House, most of it collected as entry donations from spectators. The Collier County nonprofit organization is known for its innovative solutions for homelessness, substance abuse and poverty.
In this issue, Grand Ride gives readers a backstage look into this year’s Cars on 5th event, scheduled for February 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On your calendar, circle that day in rosso corsa — that’s “racing red” — the national auto racing color of Italy.
Grandeur: What makes Cars on 5th more popular each year?
Tom O’Riordan: We have continually tried to evolve. The quality and diversity of the cars has improved every year. We have made it more of a festival with great bands, food and vendors. Our “Roaring Exit” as the show ends with police and sheriff’s department motor units leading the way has become a YouTube highlight each year, and it’s a chance to hear and see all the cars in motion.
G: What’s involved in putting all this together?
TO: Wow. It’s a year-long quest that begins the day after each show ends. We review feedback from the public, vendors and sponsors. There are many meetings with the Naples City Council, police, fire and public works staff, the Fifth Avenue merchants’ association, car dealers, the local car clubs and many sponsors. A careful layout of every inch of the street is put together by Jay Scott, a key member of the team. We solicit items for our silent auction. We design and order shirts and hats and trophies for the Best in Show awards. We arrange for photographers, bands, sound and stage workers, street barricades, tents, tables and chairs, and everything we need for our after-show party.
G: What’s new for this year?
TO: We are implementing a major change to this year’s show. Many stakeholders believed the crowds had become too large for the car owners, homeowners and car enthusiasts. This year, the streets will be closed, and all attendees will need to purchase a ticket to enter. The cost is $20 per person. Children under 12 are free, and all proceeds go to St. Matthew’s House. We have also arranged for parking at the county office complex on Airport Road and (U.S.) 41, and free shuttles and ride share pickups will be available.
This year, we’ve expanded the Antiques and Classics area, and we will have a new “Ferrari Scuderia” for vintage and high-worth Ferraris. Scuderia means “stable” in Italian, and the Ferrari badge is a prancing horse. We will have a 2019 Ferrari Pista there and a special one-off Ferrari 599 Passione that traveled 20,000 miles across the US to celebrate the Ferrari Club of America’s 50th anniversary. The sister car from South America will also be there.
G: You have owned 10 Ferraris. Will any of them be in next month’s show?
TO: Yes, my 2004 Platino 360 Spider 6-speed and my 2018 70th Anniversary California T.
G: Which other local car clubs are represented?
TO: Cool Cruisers, the West Coast Muscle Car Club, The British Car Club of Southwest Florida, the Mercedes-Benz Club, the Porsche club, the Alfa Romeo club, Corvettes of Naples, and the Antique Automobile Club of America Naples/Marco Island.
G: What are a few of the cars members of these clubs will bring to the show?
TO: A 1932 Duesenberg Willoughby Limo, a 1937 Fiat 6C, a 2002 Mercedes SL 500, a 2019 Porsche GT2RS, an Acura NSX from the same year, and many other outstanding cars, some of them quite rare. All the details about this year’s Cars on 5th are available online at carsonfifth.com.
G: Tom, let’s get personal and learn more about you. Do you work in the automotive field?
TO: No, I’ve been heavily involved in the sports business. I’ve worked in various executive positions with Nike, Adidas, Fila and several other brands.
G: When did you become a Ferrari fan?
TO: I grew up in New Jersey with American cars. Our family cars were a Studebaker Lark, a Pontiac Bonneville, and a Cadillac Sedan deVille. My brother was a New Jersey State Trooper, and in 1985 he wanted me to buy a Ferrari 308 they had confiscated. I didn’t buy it because it was black, and I felt all Ferraris had to be red.
G: What attracts you to the brand?
TO: The beauty of each car is just amazing. Ferrari is the best combination of style and performance in the car world.
G: Do you have an interest in vintage Ferraris?
TO: I do. I am currently looking for a late ’60s 12-cylinder.
G: Which of your personal Ferraris is your favorite?
To: My 2004 360 Spider. It was revolutionary when it came out and is a rare, late 6-speed. When I was CEO of Fila, I actually bought three new 360s for tennis champion Jennifer Capriati and baseball legends Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds before I bought one for myself. Those two guys were locked in their home run duel at the time.
G: Have you traveled to the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy?
TO: Yes, I’ve been there three times. All Ferraris are still made there. About 9,000 vehicles each year.
G: There are two Ferrari museums nearby, correct?
To: Right. The Ferrari Museum in Maranello is outstanding. There is a newer museum about an hour away celebrating Ferrari’s founder, Enzo Ferrari. It’s located in his hometown of Modena and focuses on older cars and the engines that propelled them. It’s partially housed in his father’s old workshop.
G: Does the Revs Institute in Naples have any historic Ferraris in its collection?
TO: Yes, they have the 1948 166 Spider Corsa, the actual car Sam Collier was killed in while road racing in Watkins Glen. The Collier family was very involved in racing back then. Sam ran off the road and rolled over. Drivers had no seat belts or harnesses, and they only had leather helmets for protection. There were a lot of drivers killed back then, and a lot of them were in Ferraris.
G: What is the top speed ever recordedby a Ferrari?
To: Excluding Formula 1 cars, thatwould be the FXX K models madefrom 2014 to 2017, clocked at 230miles per hour.
G: Is there a limit to the speed a human driver can achieve on the open road?
To: This is a complex question. Itdepends on the driver, the road conditions and the car. I do believe that the performance of many cars has alreadyexceeded the capability of most drivers.
G: How fast have you personallydriven a Ferrari?
TO: 185 miles per hour. I did ittwice. Once on the track at Daytona,and the other time was on a lonelycountry road north of Orlando. But I probably shouldn’t tell you about that time.