London museum showcases Ferrari spectacular

A must-see exhibition has opened at the Design Museum in London to mark the 70th anniversary of Ferrari.

Some £140 million worth of cars from the Prancing Horse feature in “Ferrari: Under the Skin” including a racing car driven by F1 legend Stirling Moss.

Rare exhibits from private collections include original drawings, an exact replica of the first Ferrari ever made, the 2000 F1 winning car driven by Michael Schumacher and Enzo Ferrari’s driving licence.

The exhibition, which is open until April 15, 2018, offers a unique insight into the meticulous and glamorous world of Ferrari.

There’s even a behind-the-scenes look at the secretive world of car design. Original hand-drawn sketches feature next to high-tech wind tunnel models and beautifully crafted early wooden master models to present an overview of the manufacturing process and the relationship between form and function.

Charting the varied techniques used throughout Ferrari’s history, the exhibition demonstrates how drawings are translated by sculptural techniques into the final form of the car.

An original 1:1 scale hand-crafted clay design model of the J50 is a highlight of the exhibition and offers an exclusive view into the factory’s techniques. The limited edition J50 was made in a run of only 10 cars exclusive to Japan, celebrating 50 years of Ferrari in the country.

The exhibition also looks at Ferrari’s extraordinary celebrity clientele – stars that helped establish Ferrari as the brand we know today.

Notes by Miles Davis feature alongside archive photography of famous clients with their cars, including Clint Eastwood, Sammy Davis Jr, Brigitte Bardot and Peter Sellers.

The centrepiece of the section is a 1957 250 GT Cabriolet owned by one of the most famous British racing drivers of all time – Peter Collins. Other cars in this section include an 1988 F40 belonging to Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and a 1950 166 MM formerly driven by Gianni Agnelli, head of Fiat.

The exhibition culminates in a look at Ferrari today. A LaFerrari Aperta, owned by Gordon Ramsay and the most technologically advanced Ferrari to date, represents the company’s continuing innovation. This hybrid vehicle is accompanied by concept sketches and an in-depth look at the engine.

“The Ferrari story is truly one of the great adventure stories of the industrial age and I am very proud we are able to tell it at the Design Museum,” said Sir Terence Conran, founder of the Design Museum.

“The depth of emotion goes far beyond the external beauty of their cars: what excites me so much about this exhibition is the rare opportunity to glimpse behind the scenes and experience the dynamic between engineering, manufacturing and design, which produces Ferrari’s magic ingredient.”