Ferrari yesterday gave a rare look at the world’s most exclusive workshop – where the average car’s value is more than £8 million.
The company’s ‘Classiche’ service caters for wealthy enthusiasts who want their beloved sports cars returned to their original condition.
And inside the centre there are no signs of oily rags or Pirelli calendars. Instead, a team of ultra-clinical technicians work on cars worth more than a typical stately home.
The current job-list boasts 24 classic Ferrari road and race cars worth in excess of £200 million.
For the same amount of money, a customer could walk into a supercar dealership and order 1,176 brand-new Ferrari 458 Italias.
Among the 24 models they have five Ferrari 250 GTOs, a 1960s model regarded as the world’s most valuable car, with each of these worth in excess of £20 million.
They also have two Ferrari 250 Testa Rossas worth around £12 million each as well as three of just 32 Ferrari 250 LM ever produced.
Screen icon Steve McQueen’s old Ferrari 275 GTB4 is undergoing a full restoration after a previous owner decided to have the transformed into a convertible.
Ferrari has now released a photo from inside the workshop which shows a dozen cars including three the GTOs currently being restored.
The Classiche service was set up in 2006 with engineers completing 60 full ground-up restorations during this period.
They have also processed more than 3,300 certification requests. To qualify for a certificate of authenticity the car must be the same as when it left the factory.
Ferrari expert Tony Willis, 66, looks after the Classiche department for UK customers.
He said: “We’ve done more than 350 inspections in the UK and it is growing in popularity as cars become a major investment.
“People want a guarantee that the car is real and original and not a fake. If you are buying something like a Ferrari 250 GTO you want to know everything is correct.
“The only way to know this is to have the company involved in the process. It is essential for any bluechip Ferrari to be certified by Classiche.
“Plenty of people throughout the world restore Ferraris but with rare models like the 250 GTO it is a no-brainer that it should be restored by the people who built it.”
There are currently four UK-based Ferraris at the company’s factory in Maranello, Italy.
However, a Classiche-certified car isn’t always the easiest job for the owner and manufacturer.
Sir Anthony Bamford, the billionaire boss of JCB, bought a 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa which didn’t have the correct engine.
Ferrari were unable to find an engine anywhere in the world so but the wealthy businessman really wanted the car to have an authentic feel.
So in 2008 the Classiche department built an engine from scratch using the original drawings and tooling.
Despite being brand-new, it was built build entirely to the standards of the 1950s engine.
