Description
Author, Leonardo Acerbi, Hardbound, 453 Pages, ISBN: 9788879116084, New Updated Fourth Edition, 2015
Introduction to the fourth edition
The idea of bringing to life this "gallery" of almost all the Ferrari production from the legendary company's origins until today first came about in 2003 when the Maranello price list included models such as the closed and open versions of the 360 Modena, the "instant classics" like the 456 M CT, the GTA and powerful 575 M Maranello. On the track during that year of grace was the then five times Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher, who charged on almost undisturbed to his record sixth drivers' world title, his fourth in succession with the Rossa, which also won the Fl Constructors Championship for the fifth consecutive time since 1999.
This enormous task, which retraces the history of the glorious marque in "vademecum" form, has been updated several times. The first was in 2008, then once more in 2012 and now 10 years after it first appeared, once again so that it keeps pace with the times.
In the introduction to the original book in the summer of 2003, I had already underlined how, in the first years of the new century, Ferrari's human and techno-sporting levels were completely different
to those of it's origins. They were born and brought up in the legendary red brick factory with the enormous Ferrari sign over it's entrance.
Well today, I must write similarly of the current Prancing Horse marque and of that with which it opened up the new millennium. Yes, because today, more than yesterday, Ferrari is a world, forgive me globally, famous brand whose products are available more than ever in the main world markets. It has an ever increasing turnover and a media power built on the charismatic connotations of the marque itself that go a long way beyond the alternating fortunes of the Scuderia on the track. And not only that; next to the "normal" models, in a refined equilibrium between past and present, this Ferrari has returned to that sartorial production of a few cars that have characterised the marque since the beginning, when until the mid-Fifties there were very few examples of each model and they were destined for a really restricted and elitist clientele.
Enjoy the book - and until the next update !!
