Ferrari's One Horse Town

May 27, 2015
Story By
John Brooks

"I'm on my way to Maranello today..." How many dreams have been launched on those words? How many hopeful drivers and engineers have set out for this fabled spot in the shadow of the great Italian motoring city of Modena? Those who succeed achieve immortality in the eyes of the Tifosi, those who do not...well, suffice to say that no one who visits this true temple of speed remains untouched by the magic in the air.

The Cavallino Rampante (Prancing Horse) is ubiquitous in Maranello, almost every aspect of daily life is colored red. Hardly anyone lives in the town who is not is someway employed either by Ferrari or by some connected activity.

The factory is on a much bigger scale than might be first imagined given the production run of just around 7,000 units per annum. Of course these are no ordinary cars, they are Ferraris. And then there is also engine building and bodywork painting for the cars of Maserati, I looked at that production line in Modena HERE

Still the car parks and the modern steel and plate glass buildings could be any one of thousands of similar sized enterprises.

However, 'round the back of the factory in Via Abetone Inferiore lies the entrance that would have been familiar to Enzo himself, it is the one that appears in the media when illustrating any story that concerns the factory.

Other familiar landmarks remain despite the changes in Ferrari that have brought the brand into the 21st Century.

Il Cavallino was apparently a lunch time favorite of Enzo Ferrari, which is located across from the factory gates. The food is pure Italian goodness, a real treat.

And after lunch perhaps a bit of correspondence to send...

And back around another corner is a fantastic model and bookstore, one could spend hours and a small fortune in there.

But for every part of the old Maranello that still exists there is the unstoppable wave of the modern world almost swamping the scene. The Museo Ferrari has been enlarged and revised, now it has a counterpart in the center of Modena, the Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari. Both of these shrines and their treasures will be the subject of future posts.

The Maranello-based museum lures in the crowds with a Schumacher-era Formula One car on display with an installation that is certainly different.

As might be expected there is an official Ferrari Store, carrying a huge range of branded merchandise.

Some items in the windows are not for sale, they act as reminders of the rich heritage, such as this Ferrari 166 MM. This is the car in the late '40s that helped to establish Ferrari as a sporting marque with victories in the Mille Miglia, Le Mans 24 Hours and Spa 24 Hours.

However, almost any consumer item can be, and is, given the Ferrari treatment - for a price.

Tucked away behind the store is the engine that drives the legend, the Formula One factory. It is, no doubt, state of the art as befits the aristocrats of the Grand Prix grid.

One thing that is also unique to Maranello is the number of store-fronts that have local produce parked out front.

It is another way of parting the pilgrims from their cash, drive a Ferrari around Maranello and environs under instruction for 10, 20, 30 minutes or even a whole day. This gives the town a constant soundtrack of V12 and V8 engines revving in the street, a heavy metal chorus that acts as a rhythm section while the day passes.

The dream can be taken as far as you like, the mean streets of Maranello can lead to a podium but the champagne and admiring fans are extra.

Even the roundabout just in front of the factory where the magnificent Cavallino is located had three or four photographers lurking in the tree line hoping to catch something special going in or out of the factory. Are they there every day or have they been tipped off?

Then later in the afternoon something unusual caught my attention across the road from the Museo Ferrari on Via Dino Ferrari, a sign of resistance to the Red Tide. Lamborghini have a shop selling their merchandise right in the heart of Maranello; cheeky does not even begin to describe this. It would appear that Ferrari treats this gesture with disdain, they are the only story in town, and it is a town that anyone with petrol in their veins should visit at least once.

Ferrari's One Horse Town

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