It takes more than money.

Ferrari makes some of the world's most exclusive and desirable cars, but being fabulously wealthy isn't enough to get you on the list of customers permitted to purchase limited-edition examples of its machinery.

In short, you have to be a member of la famiglia.

Ferrari is accustomed to saying no to would-be customers. Presenting its latest wares at the Paris motor show, the brand showed off a handful of cars representing 350 limited-edition vehicles that pay tribute to the brand's history, as well as a new LaFerrari Aperta roadster that will be limited to 209 examples. In both cases, all are sold out.

Ferrari claims it had three times as many customers than cars for the $2million Aperta - one customer in the US has pursued legal action over Ferrari's refusal to sell him a LaFerrari Aperta, claiming that the brand's snub damaged his reputation.

The marque's chief marketing officer, Enrico Galleria, says there will be trouble surrounding 70 special colour schemes available on five different body styles revealed at the Paris motor show.

"The limited edition 350 cars with the 70 liveries are sold out immediately even before we have shown the car, and now that we show the car there will be huge requests," he says.

"Even the standard car has a waiting list - for the delivery of the 488 Spider the around the world you are waiting around 12 to 24 months.

"The limited series cars are very welcomed in the market - there is a high demand.

"We cannot satisfy all of the demands, otherwise we will go exactly the opposite direction that we want to have, which is keeping the exclusivity."

Rather than playing favourites with preferred clients, Ferrari uses set criteria for some models that decide who can buy a car.

There are unwritten rules surrounding buyer history with the brand, such as whether customers have attempted to sell cars quickly for a profit, and whether they are loyal Ferraristi, or dabble in rival brands such as Lamborghini or McLaren.

"The only way we have to try to manage it properly, this potential problem, is to be fair in the allocation rules," Galleria says.

"Whenever we decided to launch a limited series car, for every limited series car we identify some rules in order to select a customer based on their history with the company - not only their purchasing history but how much they come to our events, how much they are close to our events.

"Once we identify the rules they are approved by the board of management including our chairman, so that the list of clients that become feasible for the car comes from the selection criteria."

Australian customers looking to get in the brand's good graces could join Ferrari's Corse Clienti racing program or cavalcade road trips, take part in track days or attend events such as the Bathurst 12 Hour or Australian Grand Prix, and turn up for local premieres of important models.

Galleria says it's important to be able to explain why one customer received a car, and another did not.

"That's the way we do it," he says.

"There is always someone willing to have the car who is unhappy because he doesn't have it.

"At least we can prove that the allocation rules are transparent."