“The Origins of the Myth” is the first exhibition scheduled for display when  the Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari opens to the public on March 10. The museum complex  is dedicated to Enzo Ferrari and motorsport in Ferrari’s hometown of Modena,  Italy.

But celebrations in Modena will begin nearly a month earlier, marking the  birth of the great car builder on Feb. 18. Ferrari  was born in 1898 and died in 1988.

“It is with great satisfaction and enthusiasm that, after years of intense work by the Fondazione Casa di Enzo Ferrari, we are on the point of inaugurating this important cultural asset, that will tell the world the story of this great figure and the vocation for motoring of this area,” says Mauro Tedeschini,  president of the Fondazione Casa di Enzo Ferrari.

The museum started from the restoration of the house in which Enzo Ferrari  was born in Modena, and that has preserved through the years to both the living quarters and the workshop. To this was added a new building in the form of the  now famous yellow aluminum “bonnet” whose color is the symbol of the city of  Modena and the color chosen by Enzo Ferrari as the background to the Prancing  Horse, the trademark of the company that bears his name.

“The Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari represents the final addition to the tourist attractions in this area related to motoring,” said Adriana Zini, general  secretary of the Fondazione, “and will become a cult place for motoring enthusiasts and a major destination for cultural and industrial tourism. For the  city of Modena it will be an international icon. Together with the Ferrari  Museum at Maranello, with which it will operate in synergy, and with other important motoring assets in the area such as the Marzaglia motor-racing circuit  and the Righini, Panini and Stanguellini Collections, it will fully meet the  expectations of visitors from all over the world.”

The exhibition is dedicated to the story of Ferrari the man, the driver and the constructor, placed in the context of the 1900s and the era which saw him as an undisputed star in motorsport, with its cast of actors, its places and the  competitions that characterized the events of his life–from the street circuit of Modena to motor-racing circuits around the world to the Mille Miglia; from  Scaglietti, Fantuzzi, Stanguellini to Maserati, Pagani, De Tomaso, Lamborghini as well as Alfa Romeo.

In his birthplace there is a permanent multimedia display which retraces the important events in Ferrari’s life. He believed that “if you can dream it, you can do it,” and Ferrari saw the car as a work of art. He considered racing as a testing ground for the continuous development and improvement of technology and the reaching of perfection. Passion and creativity, research, innovation, courage and challenges–these are the key words that emerge from the life of Enzo Ferrari and that are at the root of the myth who made Modena and Maranello capitals of a dream come true.

The stars of the exhibition in the new gallery will be the cars themselves,  representatives of the great Italian names from the most prestigious collections and museums, exhibited as works of art. The vehicles will be surrounded by  showcases containing historic documents, objects and memorabilia, with the  contribution of original audio-visual footage that reconstructs the identity of  Motor Valley-Emilia Romagna.

The museum itself is a prestigious work of contemporary architecture designed  by Future Systems of London, formerly headed by the great architect Jan Kaplicky (he died 2009). The interior design and museum layout were under the supervision  of architect Andrea Morgante of Shiro Studio, codesigner of the project.

The museum is located close to the historic city center of Modena and the  Maserati plant, in the area outside the city walls that was the first in Modena to be developed and where, close to the railway, the first large industrial complexes were built.

The museum has 54,000 square feet of floor space including a teaching room  with a digital archive, a conference room, a projection room, a shop and a coffee shop. Total cost for the project is in excess of $23 million.

The museum will be open 363 days a year. The founding bodies and sponsors of  the Fondazione Casa di Enzo Ferrari are the Modena City Council, the Provincial  Administration of Modena, the Modena Chamber of Commerce, Ferrari S.p.A. and the  Italian Automobile Club.

This is just another Ferrari site to go to in Italy. Are you going to it?

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Source: autoweek.com

Ferrari’s “Prancing Horse” logo is arguably one of the most iconic brand logos in the world today. Not just in the auto industry. The entire world.

But while many of us can pick and point to a Ferrari logo from all corners of the world, very few of us actually know the history behind the black galloping stallion in front of the yellow crest.

How did the Ferrari logo begin and when did it emerge?

So many questions have resulted in varying answers and now, Ferrari has finally come out with a video explaining the history behind their world famous logo.

As it turns out, the story behind the logo was only told by Ferrari patriarch, Enzo Ferrari, just once. According to Ferrari, the horse was painted on the fuselage of one Francesco Baracca, considered as one of the top Italian fighter pilots of the First World War. The story goes that Ferrari was instructed by Baracca’s mother to use the Prancing Horse logo on his cars for good luck. Together with the Prancing Horse, Ferrari added a canary yellow background as an homage to the official colors of Modena.

Beginning as a shield with the initials ’S.F.’- Scuderia Ferrari – below the horse, the logo slowly evolved and has since taken a rectangular shape with the ’S.F.’ initials taken out and replaced with the now famous ’Ferrari’ name.

The rest, as they always say, is now steeped in automotive history.

What do you think every time you see the Ferrari logo?

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Source: topspeed.com

As far as autoworker jobs go, putting together a Ferrari has got to be one of the plum gigs. The company is consistently rated as one of the best places to work in Europe, but if the pleasant atmosphere and long espresso breaks weren’t enough, you get to go home at the end of the day knowing that you put together a Ferrari. Not a pickup truck, not an economy hatchback, but a Ferrari.

Unfortunately for most of us, that job isn’t really feasible, but to give us a glimpse at what we’re missing, Ferrari is apparently releasing a series of videos showing us what it’s like inside its factory. A few weeks ago it was the engine assembly line, and this time it’s the facility where the workers produce the frame for the Ferrari 458 Italia.

The factory built in conjunction with aluminum giant Alcoa also happens to be the only Ferrari plant located outside the company’s compound in Maranello – situated, as it is, in nearby Modena. Follow the jump to watch the ten-minute video to see the process unfold.

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Source: autoblog.com

Ferrari had the official presentation of the new 599 GTO  on the night of Wednesday, the 14th of April. It was presented by the company’s chairman Luca di Montezemolo, chief executive Amedeo Felisa and vice-chairman Piero Ferrari, son of the legendary Enzo.  Considering the place: Modena’s Ducal Palace military academy… it is the same location, incidentally, as the sister company Maserati which chose to unveil the Quattroporte Automatic over three years ago.

The grand gala involved the participation of Ferrari factory test drivers and military cadets in front of a crowd of 500 clients. The super car is set for an additional unveiling at the Beijing Motor Show later this month. The 599 GTO, according to reports, is already sold out. All 599 examples of it.  Which means that, even you’ve got the GBP 300,000 asking price, the closest you’re likely to get to it is through watching the video and looking at the pictures.

Ferrari 599 GTO presented at Modena’s Military Academy. Montezemolo “A wonderful and extraordinary car”

Maranello, 15 April – The 599 GTO world premiere, held exclusively for Ferrari clients, ended around midnight last night.

The 12-cylinder Berlinetta, produced in a limited edition of 599, was presented at a symbolic place of the city of Modena: the Military Academy’s Ducal Palace. A choice, as Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo underlined, to “confirm the deep relationship between Ferrari with the terroir and especially with Modena. The Academy is a proper centre of excellence, a historical place, with culture and passion. The Academy and Ferrari are an expression of Italian excellence of this region.”

The evening, with the participation of Ferrari Vice Chairman Piero Ferrari and CEO Amedeo Felisa, started with a welcome address from Montezemolo and the Academy’s Commander General Roberto Bernardini.

A few moments later three 599 GTOs arrived through the Ducal Palace’s entry gate, accompanied by impressive light beams in red, illuminating the Academy’s courtyard. The cars were driven by Luca Badoer, Giancarlo Fisichella and long-time test driver Dario Benuzzi, with three cadets as co-drivers, underlining the strong relationship with the Academy.

The three Berlinettas were then admired by the 500 guests from all over the world, followed by enthusiastic comments on the 599 GTO, while some felt sorry for not being amongst the 599 clients of this exceptional model. The 599 GTOs of this special limited series, which will be produced, are already sold.

The expectations for this car with such an important name are extremely high, as Montezemolo explained: “We’ve created a wonderful car, the most powerful in our history, an exclusive car I wanted to give a historical name like GTO, because it deserves it”.

The 599 GTO’s next official appearance will be in Beijing, at the International Automotive Exhibition. A decision taken, considering the growing market for Ferrari in the Asia Pacific region and in China.

What do you think about the new Ferrari 599 GTO?

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Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo on the left and the Academy's Commander General Roberto Bernardini on the right.

 Source: autoblog.com

Future Systems, a British architecture firm is behind a project to build a museum resembling the bright yellow hood of a vintage car over the house in which the founder of the Ferrari empire was born.

Construction began this week on the Ferrari museum, which will feature a wavy yellow roof resembling the hood of a vintage car.

It will arc over the two-story house in which motor racing legend and car designer Enzo Ferrari was born in 1898.

The museum, in the town of Modena, Italy is being built by London-based, architecture firm Future Systems, which beat seven international competitors to clinch the contract.

The museum will be devoted to Ferrari’s life and work and will contain vintage Ferraris, Maseratis, car engines, film footage and memorabilia.

The roof will be bisected by fins, with the design inspired by the radiator of a classic Maserati.

The hope is that the museum, which is due to be completed in 2011, will become an iconic landmark in the northern Italian town, attracting up to 200,000 visitors a year.

It will chart the career of Ferrari, who grew up next to the metal foundry run by his father, Alfredo.

He became a racing driver in the 1920s, achieving some success, before starting his own automobile company in 1929, establishing Ferraris as a design classic and becoming one of the world’s most successful car designers. He died in 1988 at the age of 90.

Ferrari’s famous symbol of a black horse against a yellow shield was inspired by the squadron badge of a World War One Italian flying ace, who was killed in a dogfight.

The new Enzo Ferrari Museum will complement an existing Ferrari Museum at Maranello, outside Modena.

What do you think about the picture of the museum? Leave a comment.

Source: telegraph.co.uk and luxist.com