A historic Ferrari with a
value of A$275,000 will make its Australian debut at the
2011 Melbourne Grand Prix next weekend and there will
only ever be one in Australia. But it is not another car from the Italian sports car maker.
It is The Official
Ferrari Opus, the most lavish, most valuable history of
Ferrari that has ever been produced. It weighs in at 37
kilos and is 50 cm by 50 cm, with 852 pages, 200,000
words and more than 2,000 pictures, many of which were
specially commissioned for the Opus or come from
Ferrari’s historic records and have never previously
been published. The Opus includes gatefold pictures two
metres long and exclusive interviews the motorsport
legends that have been part of Ferrari’s unique history.
“Opus is not a book;
it's a concerto. A triumphant opera whose score is made
up of cars, technology, history and achievements, and
whose heroes will live on forever," says Antonio Ghini,
Creative Advisor, The Official Ferrari Opus, and
Ferrari’s former communication and brand management
director. “Opus, like Ferrari, is a unique experience.”
At the Australian
Grand Prix the ultimate edition of The Official Ferrari
Opus, the Enzo ‘Diamante’ edition, will be on display.
Only one copy, priced at A$275,000 including GST will be
exclusively available for sale in Australia. Featuring a
diamond encrusted Ferrari ‘Prancing Horse’ made with
more than 30 carats of diamonds, rated VVS and rare
white (F) is mounted on the handcrafted red leather
cover; the Opus represents the ultimate history of
Ferrari. To make the experience of owning an Enzo
‘Diamante’ edition truly special, each owner will
automatically be a part of an official, exclusive
Ferrari draw to win a unique Ferrari F1 car.
The very first copy of
The Official Ferrari Opus is travelling the world so
that it may be signed by motoring and motorsport
legends. This special copy will tour to several of the
grand prix-hosting cities, starting with Melbourne for
the opening Grand Prix of the season, and will be signed
by many dignitaries along the way to its final
destination – Maranello, the home of Ferrari. During the
‘Journey to Maranello’ tour, members of the public will
have the opportunity to bid for this one-off Opus in a
global auction - with all proceeds going to charity.
In addition to the
Enzo 'Diamante' edition of The Official Ferrari Opus,
there are three other editions:
Enzo
Available in a limited
series of 400, just like the road car it is named after,
this is the marquee edition of The Official Ferrari
Opus. Presented in a black carbon-fibre clamshell,
adorned with the world-famous Ferrari racing shield, the
Enzo edition is the most desirable publication ever on
the marque. Personally signed by all living Ferrari
world champions on an individually numbered,
silver-foiled signature sheet. Also available is a
specially designed bookstand by world renowned interior
designers Candy & Candy. Price: A$34,925 including GST.
Cavallino Rampante
Limited to 500 copies
worldwide, the Cavallino Rampante edition includes the
personal signatures of Ferrari greats, past and present.
Gracing the cover of each copy is an official Ferrari
badge, identical to those seen on Ferrari road cars.
Price: A$6,545 including GST.
Classic
Limited to 4,100
copies worldwide the Classic edition of The Official
Ferrari Opus is presented in a silk-cloth covered
clamshell case and features a silver-foiled signature
sheet, signed by current Ferrari Formula 1 drivers,
Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Price: A$3,520
including GST.
The content for The
Official Ferrari Opus has been gathered from around the
world and is much more than a history of the company or
a catalogue of its road and racing cars. “Ferrari is not
just about fast and fabulous cars – it is a global
community, the expression of a dream and a synonym for
Italian style," says Eszter Karpati, Editor, The
Official Ferrari Opus. “In The Official Ferrari Opus we
have tried to tell the full story of this fascinating
brand in all its complexities while also placing it in
new and sometimes unexpected contexts to explore
different aspects of its unique appeal.”
The Official Ferrari
Opus includes in its many editorial highlights: A
selection of iconic Ferrari images, each displayed on a
spectacular scale, highlighting the personalities, cars
and some magic moments from the company’s illustrious
history. For the first time, Piero Ferrari presents the
picture collages created by his father to record all
drivers and victories year by year. Dreams, adventures,
success and tragedy... a portrait of Enzo Ferrari, the
man who made Ferrari by Leo Turrini. Plus journalist
Gian Paolo Ormezzano writes for the first time about his
close relationship with the ‘Drake’. Niki Lauda, Franco
Gozzi and Sir Frank Williams are among those who offer
their personal insights on Ferrari’s twin giants, Enzo
Ferrari and Luca di Montezemelo, while Piero Ferrari
shows us around his father’s old office. Details of
every car Ferrari has ever produced: the single seaters
that marked turning points in Ferrari history, the road
models most loved by Ferrari customers and the sports
cars that make the brand a world leader. Details of all
drivers ever contracted for Scuderia Ferrari, with
comments on each from Enzo Ferrari, Piero Ferrari and
Luca di Montezemolo, plus an interview with the
legendary champion Niki Lauda. An exclusive
stage-by-stage tour of the Maranello factory, interviews
with legendary engineer Mauro Forghieri and Ferrari CEO
Amedeo Felisa. From the designs of Pininfarina to the
influence of Italian culture, it investigates what gives
Ferrari the X factor. Rankin, one of the world’s leading
photographers, offers his own take on the seductive
appeal of the 1961 250 Spider California. When Rankin
photographed Chris Evans’s 1961 California, there was
instant chemistry. The result is a sensuous feature that
shows sexy close-ups, culminating in a “full-figure”
centrefold. The Scuderia Ferrari team wear ‘SenseCams’,
taking two pictures per minute, to record their up-close
experience of race day, from tyre stops to jokes with
Fernando Alonso. Multiple world-champion Fernando Alonso
and Brazilian ace Felipe Massa on the physical and
mental training required to drive – and win – for
Ferrari. World-renowned design expert Stephen Bayley
explains why Ferrari provides the ultimate expression of
the most alluring aspects of Italian culture.
