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The 180,000-plus
international visitors who pass through the Galleria Ferrari’s doors each year
now have one more good reason to visit the Prancing Horse museum at Maranello.
This week hailed the inauguration of a new wing at the Galleria, bringing its
total surface area up to 2,500 square metres and further boosting the already
ample exhibition space.
Situated just a stone’s throw from the Ferrari factory and the Fiorano Circuit,
the Galleria first opened in 1990 and although it is still owned by the
Municipality of Maranello, it has been directly managed by Ferrari since 1995.
It has also, needless to say, become a place in which Ferrari’s past, present
and future meld, beautifully communicating to its visitors all of the
fascination of the Prancing Horse legend.
The Galleria is divided into four areas, each one of which will thrill motor
racing fans and expert historic car enthusiasts alike. The areas are: Formula
One, Themed Exhibitions, technological Innovation, and Photographic Exhibitions.
As visitors enter through the new Galleria entrance, they can begin their tour
by going straight to the hall in which the cars that made Ferrari history on the
world’s leading circuits are exhibited.
These range from the single-seater in which Froilan Gonzalez won the marque its
first World Championship title at Silverstone in 1951, to the very latest,
much-celebrated cars driven to so many stunning victories by Michael Schumacher
and Rubens Barrichello.
There are also rarities such as the 246 in which Mike Hawthorn won the 1958
title, Gilles Villeneuve’s 126C, and Michele Alboreto, Gerhard Berger and Nigel
Mansell’s cars.
In the same room, a series of monitors tell the story of the most famous men,
cars and moments in the company’s history through a series of fascinating
images.
There is a also a glass case filled with the most important trophies and cups
won over the Prancing Horse’s 50-year-plus competitive history, including those
held aloft by Schumacher on podiums the world over.
Last but not least, there is a fascinating reconstruction of Enzo Ferrari’s
office from the Scuderia Ferrari’s first home at Viale Trento Trieste in Modena.
Moving on to the next space (also the original entrance), visitors can admire
some of the latest models built by Ferrari, including the 612 Scaglietti, the
575 and the 360 Spider, together with the stunning 1947 125S, the very first car
produced by the Maranello-based marque.
Next it is on to the amphitheatre devoted to Themed Exhibitions. The current
show is dedicated to Ferrari eight-cylinders, including Manuel Fangio’s
legendary World title-winning D50 from 1956, John Surtees’ 1964 World
title-winning 158 F1, and the prototype of a Formula Indy that Enzo Ferrari had
built in 1987.
Needless to say, the latest eight-cylinder sports car, the F430 is on show too.
There are also two driving simulators created using real Formula 1 cars - the
perfect entertainment for anyone who wants to feel the thrill of being behind
the wheel of a genuine single-seater in Grand Prix race.
Moving back and then upwards, visitors enter the technological innovation area.
This space is home to certain special cars, such as the F50 and the 550
Barchetta Pininfarina, as well as experimental engines, a mock-up of the wind
tunnel with the F1 models used for the aerodynamic honing of the F1 single-seaters
that have competed since 1981, and an exhibition of components that represent
the technological transfer from F1 to the road cars, represented in this case by
the brand-new F430.
Another feature of the area is the collection of all of the Formula 1 engines
used by Ferrari between 1981 and the present.
It is surprising to see just how much the dimensions and structure of the
engines have changes over the years, from the small but highly complex V6 Turbos
to the classic V12s and the increasingly compact and light V10s of today.
Another display not to be missed is the one devoted to F1 gearboxes which were
invented by Ferrari in 1989 and are now used by all of the teams in the
championship.
The progress in terms of materials, with the move from metals to composites, and
the in-car set-ups demanded by the aerodynamics of the modern single-seaters is
startling clear here too.
The new exhibition hall is directly over the entrance and is devoted entirely to
art and photographic exhibitions. Right now, there is a show dedicated to the
1961 156 Shark Nose in which Phil Hill won the World title, and the 268 SP,
which is actually also on display itself.
There’s also a model of the F430 which has something of the Shark Nose style,
and a F2003GA, the single-seater that inspired many of the F430’s technological
innovations.
The display case on the west wall contains a series of a Ferrari steering wheels
ranging from wooden 1950s versions to the modern ones with their computerised
control buttons which make life much easier for the drivers.
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