Maranello

Maranello is a town and comune in the region of Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy, 18 km from Modena, with a population of 17,165 as of 2013. It is best known as the home of Ferrari S.p.A. and the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One racing team. Maranello was also home to coachbuilding firm Carrozzeria Scaglietti, now owned by Ferrari.

Maranello has been the location for the Ferrari factory since the early 1940s, when Enzo Ferrari transferred operations from the Scuderia Ferrari Garage and Factory in Modena, which had been his base of operations dating back to Scuderia Ferrari's days as an arm of Alfa Romeo, due to bombing during World War II. Initially the factory in Maranello was a base not only for Scuderia Ferrari but also for Auto Avio Costruzioni, the machine tool manufacturing business started by Enzo to tide the company over while Alfa Romeo's ban on Enzo Ferrari making cars bearing the Ferrari name was in force. The public museum Museo Ferrari, which displays sports and racing cars and trophies, is also located here.

Ferrari

Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1939 as Auto Avio Costruzioni, the company built its first car in 1940. However, the company's inception as an auto manufacturer is usually recognized in 1947 when the first Ferrari-badged car was completed.

Ferrari is the world's most powerful brand according to Brand Finance. In May 2012 the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO became the most expensive car in history, selling in a private transaction for $38,115,000 to American communications magnate Craig McCaw.

Fiat S.p.A. acquired 50% of Ferrari in 1969 and expanded its stake to 90% in 1988. In October 2014 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced its intentions to separate Ferrari from FCA; as of the announcement FCA owned 90% of Ferrari. The separation began in October 2015 with a restructuring that established Ferrari N.V. as the new holding company of the Ferrari group and the subsequent sale by FCA of a 10% of the shares in an IPO and concurrent listing of common shares on the New York Stock Exchange. Through the remainings steps of the separation, FCA's interest in Ferrari's business was distributed to shareholders of FCA, with a 10% continuing to be owned by Piero Ferrari. The spin-off was completed on January 3, 2016.

Ferrari 550

The Ferrari 550 Maranello (Type F133) is a front-engined V12 2-seat grand tourer built by Ferrari from 1996 to 2002. The 550 Maranello marked Ferrari's return to a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout for its 2-seater 12-cylinder model, 23 years after the 365 GTB/4 Daytona had been replaced by the mid-engined Berlinetta Boxer.

In 2000 Ferrari introduced the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina, a limited production barchetta version of the 550, built in 448 examples. The 550 was replaced by the upgraded 575M Maranello in 2002.

History

Since 1973, when the traditional front-engined 365 GTB/4 Daytona had been replaced by the mid-engined Berlinetta Boxer, Ferrari's top-of-the-line 12-cylinder 2-seater model had used a mid-mounted 180° V12 flat engine. The Berlinetta Boxer had later been developed into the Testarossa, whose last evolution was the 1994 F512 M. Under the presidency of Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who took office in 1991, the F512 M replacement was developed as a traditional front-engined V12 grand tourer.

Ferrari factory

Designed in 2006 and constructed in 2009, the addition to the Ferrari compound at Maranello was designed by Ateliers Jean Nouvel, the Paris-based architecture firm. New programs include a new assembly facility, showrooms, offices and retail space, which are unified under a large, louvered roof. (1)

The additions project is located in the historical part of the compound. While the existing buildings remain for the most part untouched, their facades are clad in reflective red panels wherever the new building borders onto them. Additionally, the existing facade of the Ferrari historical factory is clad in reflective red steel sheets. The principal materials that are used for the exterior of the new buildings are stainless steel with a mirror finish, glass, and painted red steel panels. The glass modules are composed of a reflective glass to approximate the mirrored steel, as well as to control solar penetration.(2)

The large, louvered roof is made of mirrored stainless steel sheets that are positioned at an angle relative to the roof plane reflect light and images of the sky to the spaces beneath. Some of the louvers also have images and logos printed on their upper face, which are reflected into the interiors of the buildings.(3)

Museo Ferrari

Museo Ferrari (previously known as Galleria Ferrari) is a Ferrari company museum dedicated to the Ferrari sports car marque. The museum is not purely for cars; also on view are trophies, photographs and other historical objects relating to the Italian motor racing industry. The exhibition also introduces technological innovations, some of which had made the transition from racing cars to road cars.

It is located just 300 metres from the Ferrari factory in Ferrari's home town of Maranello, near Modena, Italy.

The museum first opened in February 1990, with a new wing being added in October 2004. Ferrari itself has run the museum since 1995. The total surface area is now 2,500 square metres. The number of annual visitors to the museum is around 180,000.

The exhibits are mostly a combination of Ferrari road and track cars. Many of Ferrari's most iconic cars from throughout its history are present in the museum.

Images

A mock up of Enzo Ferrari's office

A mock up of Enzo Ferrari's office