Ferrari Factory Visit... Thanks Shell
30 July 2005, 11:29 PM
#1
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,043
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ferrari Factory Visit... Thanks Shell
I would like to give a huge thanks to Shell for a Ferrari Factory visit they provided for me and my wife last week. Here's what happened, just in case anyone is interested.
We were flew out from Gatwick on Tuesday afternoon, to Bologna where a Shell driver took us to a hotel in Maranello. We made full use of the restaurant menu and wine list (well I *do* give Shell about £80 a week) and then had an excellent nights sleep in the 4-star hotel.
In the morning we were met by our hosts from Shell Netherlands Corporate Sponsorship, were taken to the Ferrari factory and given a briefing about the day and about Shell's relationship with the F1 team. At this point my camera was taken away so I have no record of the fantastic sights behind the factory gates.
Next stop was to be introduced to Alessando, our very knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide who took us to the GT (road car) production lines. There are two lines, one for the 8 cylinder cars, the F430 and F430 Spyder and one for the the 12 cylinder cars, the 612 Scaglietti and the Superamerica. We started at the 'completed' end of the line and worked our way back to where the empty bodyshells come out of the paint shop. I was struck by how quiet the factory was and the amazing attention to detail. Each car is completely bespoke to the clients requirements, the paint colour, the upholstery (including the size and colour of the stitching) can all be specified by the customer. We were told of an all pink F430 with pink leather interior that had just been shipped to the U.S. (where else?)
Other choices for the clients are the steel or carbon/ceramic brakes (a €16,000 option), various wheels and whatever make of tyres the client wants. It must be a major achievement to get the car exactly to spec but they seem to manage it.
The production line is manned by the highest achievers from the Ferrari University, none of your grease monkeys here! The best of the best go on to working the F1 factory.
I was able to get a glimpse of the new FXX but that production line of only 20 800bhp €1.5m cars was off limits :-(
Then it was off to the engine plant where the Ferrari and Maserati engines are put together, each one a work of art bearing the name of the engineer who crafted it.
A quick look at the paint shop followed which seemed to be full of Mazzer Quattroportes (even the Italian for "4-door" sounds evocative) and on to the engine fabrication plant where the cylinder blocks and heads are machined, the one area mainly staffed by robots, rather than people. Even this area was very quiet and had green areas, like japanese gardens, interspersed thoughout the factory floor and there were old Ferraris exhibited about the area, maybe to serve as inspiration to the workers.
We were then back on the bus for the short journey to the F1 factory and the Fiorano test track. Access to this area is normally reserved for the 'clienti corse' - the wealthy people who buy F1 cars from previous seasons. The F1 area was divided in five areas for the cars of Schumy, Rubens, the test driver, a development car and a car for the latest lucky rich ba$tard who was buying Schumy's 2003 car. A short walk to the centre of the track took us to Enzo Ferrari's villa (no. 27) and the office which has been preserved just as it was when he died, a picture of Gilles Villeneuve and purple-inked pens adorned his desk. The rest of the villa is used as a press office and a hotel for when Schumy & Rubens are testing there. The helmet of Max Papis was in the kitchen for some reason.
On the circuit, Luca Badoer was testing the F1 car. The cramped twists and turns of Fiorano must be very similar to this weekends Hungarian GP. I'll never get used to the aural assault of an F1 engine at 18,000 rpm and (yes I know it's sad but...) my arms were covered in goosebumps as Luca screamed past. I wonder how the residents of Fiorano feel with an F1 circuit running 8 hours a day in the middle of their town.
That marked the end of the factory tour but not the day as we went on to an excellent four course lunch at Ristorante Cavallino - the Ferrari restaurant - and the presentation of a bag of goodies from the Shell sponsors at the Ferrari Galleria, a museum of past and present road and racing cars.
So, in summary, it was an absolutely fantastic day for a petrolhead Ferrari-fan such as myself, a memory of a lifetime. Thanks again to Shell and Ferrari who made it possible.
We were flew out from Gatwick on Tuesday afternoon, to Bologna where a Shell driver took us to a hotel in Maranello. We made full use of the restaurant menu and wine list (well I *do* give Shell about £80 a week) and then had an excellent nights sleep in the 4-star hotel.
In the morning we were met by our hosts from Shell Netherlands Corporate Sponsorship, were taken to the Ferrari factory and given a briefing about the day and about Shell's relationship with the F1 team. At this point my camera was taken away so I have no record of the fantastic sights behind the factory gates.
Next stop was to be introduced to Alessando, our very knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide who took us to the GT (road car) production lines. There are two lines, one for the 8 cylinder cars, the F430 and F430 Spyder and one for the the 12 cylinder cars, the 612 Scaglietti and the Superamerica. We started at the 'completed' end of the line and worked our way back to where the empty bodyshells come out of the paint shop. I was struck by how quiet the factory was and the amazing attention to detail. Each car is completely bespoke to the clients requirements, the paint colour, the upholstery (including the size and colour of the stitching) can all be specified by the customer. We were told of an all pink F430 with pink leather interior that had just been shipped to the U.S. (where else?)
Other choices for the clients are the steel or carbon/ceramic brakes (a €16,000 option), various wheels and whatever make of tyres the client wants. It must be a major achievement to get the car exactly to spec but they seem to manage it.
The production line is manned by the highest achievers from the Ferrari University, none of your grease monkeys here! The best of the best go on to working the F1 factory.
I was able to get a glimpse of the new FXX but that production line of only 20 800bhp €1.5m cars was off limits :-(
Then it was off to the engine plant where the Ferrari and Maserati engines are put together, each one a work of art bearing the name of the engineer who crafted it.
A quick look at the paint shop followed which seemed to be full of Mazzer Quattroportes (even the Italian for "4-door" sounds evocative) and on to the engine fabrication plant where the cylinder blocks and heads are machined, the one area mainly staffed by robots, rather than people. Even this area was very quiet and had green areas, like japanese gardens, interspersed thoughout the factory floor and there were old Ferraris exhibited about the area, maybe to serve as inspiration to the workers.
We were then back on the bus for the short journey to the F1 factory and the Fiorano test track. Access to this area is normally reserved for the 'clienti corse' - the wealthy people who buy F1 cars from previous seasons. The F1 area was divided in five areas for the cars of Schumy, Rubens, the test driver, a development car and a car for the latest lucky rich ba$tard who was buying Schumy's 2003 car. A short walk to the centre of the track took us to Enzo Ferrari's villa (no. 27) and the office which has been preserved just as it was when he died, a picture of Gilles Villeneuve and purple-inked pens adorned his desk. The rest of the villa is used as a press office and a hotel for when Schumy & Rubens are testing there. The helmet of Max Papis was in the kitchen for some reason.
On the circuit, Luca Badoer was testing the F1 car. The cramped twists and turns of Fiorano must be very similar to this weekends Hungarian GP. I'll never get used to the aural assault of an F1 engine at 18,000 rpm and (yes I know it's sad but...) my arms were covered in goosebumps as Luca screamed past. I wonder how the residents of Fiorano feel with an F1 circuit running 8 hours a day in the middle of their town.
That marked the end of the factory tour but not the day as we went on to an excellent four course lunch at Ristorante Cavallino - the Ferrari restaurant - and the presentation of a bag of goodies from the Shell sponsors at the Ferrari Galleria, a museum of past and present road and racing cars.
So, in summary, it was an absolutely fantastic day for a petrolhead Ferrari-fan such as myself, a memory of a lifetime. Thanks again to Shell and Ferrari who made it possible.
Trending Topics
31 July 2005, 09:39 AM
#10
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,043
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The tour was a competition prize on Virgin Radio that was won by a friend of my wife. She (the friend) was unable to go as she was expecting a baby at the time of the tour so she very kindly offered it to me 
Normally you need to work for one of the sponsors (Shell, Vodafone, Marlboro etc) or have a major business relationship with them in order to get a tour.
Alternatively, you can buy a new Ferrari, but that would only get you as far as the main factory, not the F1 area.
Normally you need to work for one of the sponsors (Shell, Vodafone, Marlboro etc) or have a major business relationship with them in order to get a tour.
Alternatively, you can buy a new Ferrari, but that would only get you as far as the main factory, not the F1 area.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Mattybr5@MB Developments
Full Cars Breaking For Spares
28
28 December 2015 11:07 PM
Mattybr5@MB Developments
Full Cars Breaking For Spares
12
18 November 2015 07:03 AM