Ferrari's Royal Feature At Autosport International

Ferrari 250 GTO

The Autosport International show was opened yesterday by Prince Andrew the Duke of York, and Haymarket Chairman Lord Heseltine. With the show opened for Press and Trade, their first pitstop was the Galleria Ferrari stand, where a magnificent collection of Ferrari cars from all eras is on display. The Duke of York and Lord Heseltine were shown around the cars by Ferrari UK Managing Director Robert Hazelwood, the Duke of York taking particular interest in the evolution of the racing cars over the decades.

The amazing line-up of cars was brought directly from the Galleria Ferrari – the Official Ferrari Museum in Maranello. The display tells the history of the company from 1947 right up to the present day, and celebrates the fact that it has raced continuously since then.

Ferrari's devotion to innovation and perfection were pursued with the same zeal for both racers and road cars. And tThe road cars, of course, have often benefited from the cutting edge technology developed to win on the track. The Galleria Ferrari display at the Autosport International Show is an extraordinary example of this continuous technological transfer. Michael Schumacher's F1 World Championship cars from 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 take pride of place alongside Alain Prost’s F1-90 and Gilles Villeneuve’s 312 T3.

Also on display are the cars built to celebrate important milestones in the history of Ferrari: the Enzo Ferrari, the F50, the F40 and the GTO. The 220 mph Enzo is Ferrari’s fastest ever road car, the ultimate embodiment of the Marque’s passion for performance, technology and dramatic style. Created to celebrate Ferrari's 50th anniversary, the F50 features a 4.7 litre engine directly derived from the Formula One unit used on the 1989 F1-89. Turning the clock back a decade you will be able to see the F40, a Pininfarina designed berlinetta, built mainly from composites. Next is the GTO: a total of 272 were produced, all of which were sold before production even began.

But it doesn’t end here. This once-in-a-lifetime line-up also includes the 250 GTO, a car which is regarded by many enthusiasts around the world as the most beautiful ever made. Created by a team led by Giotto Bizzarrini this car summed up the Ferrari philosophy with the highest levels of performance and styling. It was driven, among others, by Graham Hill to numerous victories.

A total of 18 cars are on display, making the Galleria Ferrari stand the highlight of this year’s Autosport International show.

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