There will be tens of thousands of Ferrari photographs from this exhibition hiding for years, unseen, on mobile phones and tablets around the World as every visible inch of this unique exhibition is randomly snapped by the people drifting through this historical tour celebrating 70 years of Ferrari, but without the passion of one man, Ronald Stern, this exhibition would largely have been impossible and a huge part of the history of Ferrari would go unseen. So imagine my amazement at finding myself in the same room as this great collector on the last Sunday of the event in the Design Museum, as he gave a small group a very informative tour of the exhibition. I only wish I had managed to listen in more as he spoke of Ferrari with warmth and admiration.
I know very little of this marque, I am a classic car fan first and foremost, so I visited this exhibition with no real idea of what to expect and certainly did not think for a moment I would find it as absorbing as I did. As you move through the early days of Ferrari learning of Enzo’s family history and racing career you are surrounded by pictures, documents and technical drawings from the early days of Enzo Ferrari’s new venture, as you pass from the birth of the company in Italy into the next area you cannot help but be drawn to the suspended aluminum body shell, wooden former and wire frame of a 250GTO as you discover the design and manufacturing processes used to craft these beautiful Italian machines.
Your senses are then aroused by some classics including a 166MM, a unique Testarossa Spyder, a stunning Cambridge Blue Ferrari 275 GTB/4 and the iconic F40. On a busy day you will find yourself patiently waiting to grab a glimpse of these stunning cars.
Another display is dedicated to the racing heritage of Ferrari again accessorised with memorabilia including a racing suit worn by Michael Schumacher and racing helmets worn by some of the greatest drivers from the earliest days of Grand Prix racing through to modern F1. This all sits alongside Formula 1 engines, the 250GT driven by Stirling Moss at Goodwood in the RAC Tourist Trophy and the winning Ferrari F500 from the 1952 Silverstone British Grand Prix.
A beautifully curated and presented display giving a wonderful insight in to one of Italy’s most famous car makers, Ferrari.
Further Details:
Ferrari Under The Skin, The Design Museum, 15th November 2017 – 15th April 2018
All words and photographs copyright Mark Clemas 2018
