Ferrari: 599 China auctioned for 1.2 million Euros; Non solo Rosse – a gallery of colours
The unique Ferrari 599 China was won tonight by an anonymous client from Shanghai at the final price of about 1.2 million euro (including taxes). The auction was the climax of the Gala dinner organised by Ferrari at the Red Gate Gallery in Beijing. Lu Hao, the first Chinese artist to work with Ferrari, created this special model decorated with Song Dynasty Ge Kiln pottery patterns. The proceeds from this auction will fund outstanding students and young teachers of Tsinghua University’s Department of Automotive Engineering to study at Italy’s Politecnico di Milano University and internship at Ferrari’s headquarters.
The gala dinner was attended by Ferrari owners and collectors, joined by Ferrari Asia Pacific CEO Mr. Marco Mattiacci, contemporary artist Lu Hao, professors of China’s leading Tsinghua University Cen Zhangzhi and delegate of Politecnico di Milano University Bruno Pizzigoni. A few Ferrari objects, in particular a helmet and a model car signed by Michael Schumacher, who this morning personally unveiled the car to the international media, were also auctioned together with a racing overall worn by F1 driver, Giancarlo Fisichella. The innovative appearance of this unique model, blending classic Chinese elements with Ferrari distinctive features, immediately aroused great interest among the guests.
This follows the spirit of Ferrari founder, Enzo Ferrari, carried on by Chairman Luca di Montezemolo, in investing in young talents and research. Ferrari was involved before in goodwill activities with Chinese associations, dedicated to youth.
Galleria Ferrari inaugurates today “Non solo Rosse”, an exhibition devoted to the fascinating subject of colour in Ferrari’s history and output. The show tells the story of the evolution of the colours that have become signatures of both the Prancing Horse’s road and competition models, using some very special cars, the works of painter Enzo Naso and in-depth information.
The very first Ferrari built in 1947, the 125 S, and the F2008 begin visitors’ journey into the world of Ferrari Red. Their route takes them from the very first Rosso Granata of the 1950s, the official colour of all Italian racing cars since the early 20th century, to the newest metallic variation sported by the F2007, via the various other shades of red – Rosso Cherry, Cina, Cordoba, Dino and Rubino – that have made Ferrari a international icon. Also on display is an ampoule of the Rosso Corsa paint, used for the Formula 1 single-seater, which was sent, fittingly enough, to the red planet, Mars, aboard the Mars Express space probe in 2003.
As the exhibition title Non solo Rosse declares, there is more colour in the world of Ferrari than red. The exhibition continues, in fact, with a stunning collection of cars, from the unique FXX in Blu Tour de France with Bianco Evo details, to the 1959 400 Superamerica in Argento Luna (a one-off built for Gianni Agnelli), and the brand-new Ferrari 458 Italia in a three-layer Giallo Modena livery. Also on display are test pieces by the Chinese artist Lu Hao, who recently created a one-off version of the 599 GTB Fiorano China Limited Edition, using a special paint to mimic the typical cracked glaze of the peerless Song Dynasty Ge Kiln porcelains. The colours tests that led to the creation of Ferrari’s Oro paint used on a Pininfarina one-off car inspired by the Ferrari 330 LMB, which starred in Toby Dammit, one of three episodes in the Federico Fellini’s film Spirits of the Dead, and the Enzo Naso painting depicting the car used in the film are also featured. Visitors are also taken through the various interior leather and contrasting stitching colours which clients choose as part of the personalisation of their Ferraris, all the way to the newly introduced One-Off programme which really does ensure that each car is unique. They may also use the Car Configurator to create their “own” Ferrari, just as clients do when they visit official Ferrari dealers.
The exhibition is completed by an in-depth investigation into the painting processes used at Maranello. This includes a model of the Paint Technologies Pavilion, the most advanced facility of its kind anywhere in Europe, and a video illustrating all of the various stages involved in the paint process. Visitors also get to see an example of a piece of paintwork in various stages ranging from cataphoresis to final finishing layer.
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