Ferrari birthday bash report
Huge UK gathering for Ferrari’s 60th includes a world record parade, and a handful of FXX cars on the track
Silverstone was the venue in early June for a 'Ferrari Racing Days' extravaganza that saw all manner of Prancing Horses – from road cars to FXX trackday specials to F1 racers – come together to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Ferrari and the 40th anniversary of the Ferrari Owners’ Club GB.
evo was there to sample the atmosphere and managed to catch up with some of the ten FXX owners attending what was also the only UK event in the FXX’s 'development programme'.
"I never expected to become a Ferrari test driver at the age of 76, I can tell you!" one pensionable but clearly young at heart owner quipped. But was he enjoying the experience?
"Oh, sure," he replied. "These cars are damn fast you know!"
There seemed to be a distinct rivalry between the FXX crowd and the group contesting retired Ferrari F1 cars in the pits next door. According to the FXX owners, the F1 cars have a major downside: you need a team of mechanics at hand just to keep them running. "Starting an FXX is real easy," our owner remarked. "Just open the door and press the button marked 'Start'. Anyone can do it!"
Asked how the FXX compared with the Enzo he also owns, he replied, "The FXX is so much faster, making it really exciting on track, but then my Enzo has air-conditioning, something I wish this bitch had too!" Well, quite.
The two-year FXX programme, consisting of a series of Ferrari-organised trackdays at major international circuits, comes to an end this year, after which the 'Client Test Drivers' get to keep the cars to use as they wish. But with second-hand Enzos now fetching well above their original price, it looks like the ultra-exclusive FXX (just 30 were built) will follow suit, meaning their owners could sell up and not even be out of pocket. Not a bad way to spend your weekends after all, then…
The three-day event at Silverstone also saw a range of classic Ferraris and Maseratis racing their door handles off, plus two rounds of the European Ferrari Challenge, in which 23-year-old Bruno Senna (Ayrton's nephew) steered his F430 Challenge to victory in both races. Definitely a name to watch out for in the future.
After all the racing was finished, 385 Ferraris – totalling an estimated £60 million – took to the track to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest parade of Ferraris, tripling the previous record. Quite a sight!
