The
Ferrari Myth exhibition has officially opened at
the Italian Center in the Shanghai Expo Park. The
inauguration ceremony was attended by the company’s
Deputy Chairman Piero Ferrari, and representatives of
both the Chinese and Italian governments.
The exhibition covers an area of 900 square meters and
will be open to the public for three years. Its aim is
to introduce the Chinese people to Ferrari and allow
them to experience at first-hand to the history, cars,
technologies and passion of the Prancing Horse, thereby
further consolidating links between
the Italian marque and this nation.
“For millions of people around the world, Ferrari
represents the pinnacle of Italian culture,” declared
Piero Ferrari. “It is a symbol of passion, success and
the constant pursuit of excellence. It has always been
our wish to share Ferrari’s unique history and culture
with the people of China who have shown great affection
for the Prancing Horse and with whom we share core
values such as respect for tradition and a tenacious
spirit of innovation.”
China is now a key market for Ferrari and,
significantly, this is the first time the company has
organised such a long-term, broad-ranging exhibition
outside of Italy. The latter will also be continually
updated throughout its run to document the ongoing
evolution of the company and its products. The Ferrari
Myth exhibition is designed to introduce visitors to the marque’s past, present and future. It centers around the
factors that make it so unique with a focus on also the
challenges of reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
In its first 12 months, the exhibition will be divided
into five areas: Ferrari in China, Green, Product,
Design and Racing. The text, images and videos on
display, as well as the large number of priceless
objects that have been brought in from the Ferrari
Museum in Maranello, will provide a vivid depiction of
Ferrari’s glorious history. The centerpiece of the
exhibition is made up of 5 eye-catching Ferraris that
were selected for their special significance: the 348 TS
as the first Ferrari to enter the Chinese mainland
market, a 275 GTB4, a 365 GTB4 Daytona; the 750 Monza
sports prototype and the FF, Ferrari’s first four-seater
four-wheel drive model.
Ferrari’s commitment to tackling future technological
challenges and to developing efficiencies is symbolised
by the HY-KERS system which combines a traditional
Ferrari V12 engine with two electric motors. Also
present is a scale model of Ferrari’s “green” campus in
Maranello which boasts ultramodern infrastructure
inspired by the Formula Uomo programme. The factory
itself is now also completely self-sufficient in terms
of energy production thanks to a trigeneration plant
(electricity, hot and cold water) powered by natural
gas. The technological innovations that have made
history not only in Ferrari but in the world automotive
industry as a whole are also featured. These include
transmissions system evolutions ranging from the
introduction of the famous F1-style gearbox with
steering wheel-mounted shifting paddles all the way to
the FF’s 4RM four-wheel drive system. Also on display is
a series of Ferrari’s high tech steering wheels with
their growing cluster of controls, another example of
the transfer of technology from the track to the road.
Ferrari's racing heritage is represented by two Formula 1
single-seaters and a simulator in which visitors can
experience the exhilaration of a fast lap of the Monza
Circuit.
Since the first Ferrari came to the Chinese market in
1992, the Ferrari brand has greatly benefited from
China’s economic success and the spectacular growth of
its car market. In 2011, the Greater China region became
Ferrari’s second-largest market worldwide with a total
of 777 cars sold. Ferrari has already established a
sales and service network in 15 major cities in mainland
China that covers Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou,
Shenzhen, Dalian, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing,
Nanjing, Wuhan, Kunming, Xiamen, Wenzhou and Tianjin,
and it is expected that this will expand further over
the next two years.
Ferrari has also introduced a series of customer
experience projects for Ferrari owners in China which
include the Corso Pilota professional driving course,
the Ferrari Owners’ Club and the Ferrari Asia Pacific
Challenge. Since it officially began operating in China,
Ferrari has also been involved in a number of goodwill
projects. Projects have included collaborating with Jet
Li’s One Foundation, Shanghai Charity Foundation and
sponsoring students from the Tsinghua University to
study in Italy.ItaliaspeedTV:
Ferrari Myth
Exhibition at Shanghai Expo, Opening Ceremony
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