Ferrari Starts 60th Anniversary Tour

[davewilson]

Ferrari Starts 60th Anniversary Tour

Ferrari has kicked off its round the world marathon relay tour to celebrate 60 years of the legendary super car company with Piero Ferrari, son of Ferrari founder, Enzo Ferrari, handing over the official baton to the first or hundreds of Ferrari owners that will carry it around the world.

The relay will involve more than 10,000 Ferrari owners and their cars of all ages. These will act as symbolic “bearers” of a specially commissioned relay baton adorned with 60 badges symbolising the most extraordinary events in the Marque’s 60-year history.

Abu Dhabi was chosen as the start point for the relay - which after the Middle East makes its way across China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, America and the whole of Europe – because of plans to build a major Ferrari theme park and motor racing circuit on the island of Yas in the most rapidly developing area of the Emirates’ capital.

Having left Abu Dhabi, the ‘runners’ of the first leg of the relay headed for Dubai from where they will drive on to Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. The marathon relay will end at Maranello on 23 June, after visiting Australia in the first week of March for the Melbourne International Motor Show and going on to New Zealand the following week.

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The participants in the tour will be received at the various Italian embassies in the countries they pass through en route to Maranello. Also on 16 June, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will host a special ceremony at the Palazzo della Farnesina in Rome during which there will be a charity auction by Ferrari, the proceeds of which will be donated to children in need.

The relay was officially started by Piero Ferrari, Vice President of Ferrari and son of founder Enzo Ferrari. In his speech, Ferrari spoke about his father and his brilliant intuition in creating a Marque that has become a symbol of Italian talent and exclusivity across the world. He also praised Luca di Montezemolo who has, over the last 15 years, returned Ferrari to the very pinnacle of the sporting and commercial worlds.

The launch of a special celebratory anniversary series of cars was also announced at the start of the relay. The series will consist of just 60 unique cars, each one linked to one of the 60 most important events in the Prancing Horse’s history, from the World titles won by Ascari and Schumacher to the launch of epoch-making models such as the GTO, the F40 and the Enzo, and also the people who have headed the company to the present day.

The relay baton symbolise Ferrari’s history and is topped by a dazzling platinum and diamond Prancing Horse made by Damiani. It also features 60 enamel symbols designed by the Intesta e D’Adda, Lorenzini, Vigorelli and BBDO advertising agencies, and by creative talents Alessandro Migliorini of Area Creativa, Marco Morosini, Enzo Naso of the eponymous studio and Wolfgang Seidl of Seidldesign.

Ferrari Theme Park
Scheduled to open in 2009, the new Ferrari Theme Park will cover a massive 250,000 square metres and will feature 24 themed attractions for all the family, including a 70 metre-high G-Force Tower and a twin rollercoaster ride that for the first time allows riders to race against each other. Moreover, go-karting, rally driving and dune buggy tracks, and a vast array of food and beverage outlets.

In addition to the Ferrari Park, however, the 2,500-hectare Yas Island will also host a motor racing circuit, signature hotels, apartments, villas, a wide selection of restaurants, a retail area of about 300,000 square metres, golf courses, a water park, a tourist marina, a hotel overlooking the lagoon and numerous food and beverage outlets that will create a unique international tourist destination.

The Ferrari Theme Park project and construction, as well as the whole Yas Island development is by Aldar Properties, and the total investment for the Park is of around US$600 million.

The Stig