What better way to celebrate a heritage so precious that very few can boast of it, than to not only look back, but truly relive it. Ferrari turned 70 this past weekend, and the Prancing Horse decided to not put on a great party, but also conduct its own retrospective event to recognize its history over each of those seven decades. And so the Maranello based sports and race car maker hosted a commemorative show with dancing and acrobatic acts, musicians, singers and some great films and special effects - plus a special performance from English band Jamiroquai - fitting since the band's lead Jay Kay is a Ferrari owner and aficionado. And then the company also hosted an auction of rare Ferraris and Ferrari memorabilia. Some cars at this event fetched anywhere from 500,000 Euros all the way to 8.5 million Euros! A 70th anniversary special edition LaFerrari Aperta was auctioned for charity Save the Children and it fetched 8.3 million Euros!
(The Best in Show winners(L-R) were a one-off Ferrari Testarossa Spyder that also won the overall category and a Ferrari 340 MM Vignale)
But besides all that revelry and celebration, Ferrari also held a very special Concorso d'Eleganza or classic car show that invited restored, well maintained and prized cars from its past to enter a unique one-make classic car competition. 120 entries spanning GT and sport prototype cars came from all over the world and converged in Maranello at the Ferrari headquarters. To make it even more special the event was organized on the track at the celebrated Pista di Fiorano circuit. The jury for the event was made up of 2 special Chief Judges, 10 Honorary Judges and 29 Judges from all across the world. They include Ferraristas of all kinds - the brand aficionados, classic car experts and even collectors or owners of Ferrari cars.
(Two Ferrari Enzos and two Ferrari F50s at the 70th Birthday Celebration)
The competition was spread over 19 classes of cars that were segregated either by the chronology of their age alone, or indeed their intended usage. So from the obvious categories like - 'The 250 GTs from the Italian Economic Boom' (1958-64) and 'California Dreaming' (275 GTS/330 GTS/365 California, 1965-67); to the rare - 'Music From Maranello' (340 MM/375 MM/340 MM, 1953); and revered - 'The First Supercar of the Modern Era' (GTO, 1984-85), the entries showed off the company's rich and diverse heritage in style. Speaking of style, the 'For Gentlemen Drivers' class with its 250 GTs in Berlinetta, Coupe and GTO avatars was enough to take your breath away. Each car was immaculately well preserved or restored to perfection, with their body gleaming under the Emilia-Romagna sky and their engines humming with precision and rhythm. One additional non-competitive class celebrated formula cars.
(This barn find Ferrari Daytona fetched nearly $2 Million at the Ferrari 70th birthday auctions)
We were lucky to have the time to really spend time with each of the cars on display - and also see the judges interact with some of the owners. The cars had come from all over the world, with a number of them coming from the USA in particular. Australian judge James Nicholls shared with me the levels of detail and thorough inspection each car underwent - despite many being prior winners at premiere Concours events in recent memory. The judges were looking for cues on authenticity of restoration, condition of the car and its engine, detailing of its interior and very importantly its story. As Nicholls explained, immaculately preserved car may not score as high as one with a great back story - though not always the case, mind you - as it builds the romance around that particular car. It must however also hold the promise of being in good condition of course. So from a car owned by Deano Martin (Dean Martins son) in Hollywood, to one owned by Fiat's Agnelli family - the Concours had some stunning masterpieces with great backstories.
(Ferrari's 70th birthday celebration saw attendance from some rare race cars from the 50s and 60s)
And finally we had the winners announced in each of the 19 classes of competition. In fact salvers were handed out for the top three in each class, but it was the winner of the category that went into the reckoning for the grand prize - best in show. And here we had three trophies being handed out. The first - the jury's special award - went to an absolutely gorgeous 250 GT Berlinetta (Passo Corto) that had won the Gentleman Drivers class. Pininfarina coachwork, and a car that had competed at Le Mans in the 60s, the 250 GT was recently restored and certified by Ferrari Classiche. An absolute stunner!
(Zagato bodied Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta won its class at the Ferrari Concourse)
The Best in Show trophies went to two very special cars. The GT category winner was the very special 1986 Testarossa Spider that won the 'Developed on Track' Class. The car is a one-off official roadster version of the Testarossa that was created for the then Fiat Chairman Gianni Agnelli as a celebration of his 20th anniversary in that job. It is finished in his favorite colour, silver, and has a blue stripe running across the sills. The interior is also blue. The car was a surprise winner in a sense since there were a number of classics like the 1956 GT Coupe - one of just 5 designed by Zagato with a characteristic 'double-hump' roof. But, the fact that the Testarossa was owned by Agnelli, and had come back to the fold as it were (at this event - not in ownership terms), was possibly what clinched the prize.
(A 70th anniversary special edition LaFerrari Aperta was auctioned for charity Save the Children and it fetched 8.3 million Euros)
The winner in the Competition category was a very special and historically significant car - the 1953 340 MM Vignale. The MM in its name comes from the famed Mille Miglia race, which this car won in 1953. It also set a new average record for the time at 142 kmph. The same car had also won the Giro di Sicilia and so is historically significant for Ferrari and its legacy. The 12 cylinder 4.1-litre with bodywork by Vignale is finished in two tone red and silver and bears the number 547 across its side.
(Ferrari's 70th birthday celebration saw one of the largest collection of rare Ferraris ever)
The winners of the two classes, as indeed the winners cross the categories to a special place not only on the stage where the Concours concluded, but also in the hearts of Ferrari lovers. This is especially true because a special classic car event dedicated to Ferraris - and that too at this scale and held by the company itself - is indeed a rarity. One that is possibly only likely to be repeated at the company's 80th anniversary celebrations in 2027.
