Universo Ferrari: into the Legend’s Galaxy

Universo Ferrari is the exhibition that, with stunning scenography and the sound of the voices that lived this passion, shows every visitor the values and history of the brand. But most of all lets them experience what only a limited number of privileged people, part of the inner circle of this iconic brand get to enjoy.

For a short period of time Ferrari offered the opportunity to guests who got hold of one of their limited tickets, to visit this unique exhibition set in a structure specifically built for the event, right beside the Fiorano racetrack. 

After a quick ride on the bus from one of the entrances of the Ferrari factory through the town of Maranello we reached the Fiorano Circuit.

The entire area is dominated by diffused red lights that make the atmosphere almost tangible. A corridor flanked by screens on both sides displaying graphics with a dominant red tone leads to a circular room. There in front of a huge curved screen on the back of the room sits the 2019 Ferrari Formula 1 car, the SF90.  

This is definitely the most powerful way to captivate the audience. A video briefly illustrates the history of the founder, and right after the audience can hear the real voice of Enzo Ferrari talking about his creations and the meaning they have for him.

Almost in contrast with what is shown in this room, the one right after is the ‘Ferrari Classiche’ area. A second side of the business showing the importance of preserving that mentioned heritage. The ‘Officine Classiche’ renovate classic Ferrari’s masterpieces through a strict process and only with original parts that ensure the car’s value preservation. The 250 GTO on display, which nowadays is officially considered an art piece and is worth several millions is a brilliant example.

After admiring some beautiful classic pieces like the engine of a 308 GTB, sitting right beside the car itself, it is time to proceed to the next area. The new space goes back to the atmosphere set at the beginning of the exhibition. The whole room is nicely styled and dominated by red lights, while solemn background music mixed with the roar of Ferrari engines set the tone. Here, a path designed on the floor leads the visitor from the road cars represented by a Portofino and a limited edition 488 Pista Spider, to a smaller circular area behind a thin curtain at the centre of the hall where the pinnacle of road and track-focused cars meet: a LaFerrari Aperta and its counterpart FXXK Evo.  

Following the same path out of the circular area where these two Ferrari souls meet, the transition goes completely on the racing side. Here are on display three aspects of Ferrari’s racing: an F310B from the 1997 Formula 1 season, a 488 Challenge for the Mono-marque championship dedicated to its clients, and the 488 GTE that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2019. Sitting right behind, in fact, is the actual trophy of the race.

The last area is introduced by a famous quote from Enzo Ferrari: “La macchina migliore è quella che deve ancora essere costruita” (The best Ferrari ever is the one that has yet to be built). This hall, the largest of all, is constituted by different spaces. The main one which reproduces the structure saw at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show and, like at the show, serves to display various models. Among the well-known Portofino, GTC4 Lusso, 812 Superfast and F8 Tributo, one stands out: the SF90 Stradale, the first production series hybrid Ferrari. Displayed here in its two iterations: one in red as the standard version and one in grey equipped with the so-called Assetto Fiorano (Fiorano Setup). The latter includes various upgrades and lightweight parts (such as the carbon fibre wheels) to make it lighter and ensure a better performance.

Other points of interest are two dedicated rooms for the new models unveiled a few weeks back: the 812 GTS and the F8 Spider that bring to four the count of models unveiled in 2019 leaving just one out for this year. There is a walk in the back of the main hall that leads to a reproduction of a Tailor-Made space where clients customise their car upon ordering them with the widest range of options available.

Finally, to make the experience more exciting and closer to that of clients and people close to the brand, in a small theatre it is also possible to enjoy a live presentation of the F8 Spider and seeing it arriving on the stage from behind dark panels after a proper introduction (slightly anticlimactic if someone has already seen the new model in the previous area, thus it is highly suggested to switch these two activities since there is no pre-established order).

One last treat upon exiting the large exhibition hall is the outdoor terrace where it is possible to gaze at the Fiorano racetrack, where everyone stopped at the balcony for a moment dreaming to see a roaring red car flashing by, as well as the first two members of the Icona Series, Monza SP1 and SP2.

Universo Ferrari is the perfect synthesis of the many faces of the brand. It brings every guest into the Legend’s galaxy and lets everyone perceive the history of passion that created this brand and made it what it is today as well as feeling the excitement of being a part of it. If you are not one of the lucky Ferrari owners, there are different ways to get to know the brand and its products, but this is the best one.