It’s always said that Santa Claus He comes from Lapland, where he creates his toys to distribute all over the planet. However, MD can say that there is another more magical place where red is still the main color. We define the factory Maranelloa veritable factory of dreams where MD experiences something unique: a visit to one’s bowels in an impregnable fortress.
People who want to visit can only do so by accessing the facilities on guided tours by shuttle bus, without getting off the bus and without entering the buildings. Only clients and sponsors can enter below. And some journalists in rare exceptions. MD did it at the Ferrari Christmas lunch. We crossed the fabricated door where the first ‘Cavallino’ car, the 125-S, left in 1947.. An unforgettable journey begins where it is very important to have a memory. At the entrance, Ferrari puts a sticker on all phone cameras.
This is how a street Ferrari is created
The first thing that catches your attention is the names of the streets of the venue, of the Ferrari world champions. In these, visitors can see many Ferraris parked everywhere with papers with instructions for the operators. We arrived at a large warehouse, the place where street cars are assembled. There are two large robotic assembly lines with approximately 50 stations. In each, multiple operators are in charge of performing a specific job in front of a screen with a countdown timer. Every 20 minutes, the body located there moves to the next station.
This way, every 20 minutes there is a Ferrari ready. At that momentthe screens indicate that 33 cars of the 45 scheduled for that day have been prepared, indicating something we may not be aware of: the many people in the world who can afford such a gem and have already requested one, entering the coveted waiting list. Unbelievable.
The second line is where the skin crawls. The engine, created in another plant, was patiently waiting below station 18. There, the chassis rose and we were notified of something important: “Now you will see the wedding”. The body begins to descend and the propeller ends up inside the car. Workers are tightening some screws. “You have a Ferrari now”exclaimed the group’s guide.
The 80 million car
A few meters from that floor was another smaller building, but with even more magic. This is the classics workshop. “Ferrari is the only company in the world that has all the drawings and plans, from first to last, for all its cars”, the guide highlights. This means that, whoever allows it, can commission the creation of a historic Ferrari, to be made in that space in a completely artisanal way. There are no computers. Yes, there are many materials such as leather, pieces, sheet metal and everything needed to create real works of art.
Before our eyes, two 250 GTOs of 39 units that left the factory between 1962 and 1964 were waiting to be restored. One of them, from 1963, including Tour de France Automobile stickers. A relic. This is the most expensive Ferrari in the world, sold for 80 million euros at auction. On his side, a Testarossaa 750 Monza which competed in the legendary Mille Miglia and is a car from the 50s but completely new. Magical. Right above us, on the top floor, is the famous one Ferrari Tailor Made, the department that allows the wealthiest clients to personalize their custom Ferrari. “Where is the limit?” MD asked. “In the pocket,” they answered.
The F1 workshop
The ‘tour’ is still missing the final icing on the cake. An area with more restricted access: the Gestione Sportiva. This is a building inaugurated by Ferrari in 2015 to create its F1 cars. At the entrance, adorning the main wall, is the Ferrari SF1000 with which the ‘Scudería’ celebrated its 1,000 F1 Grand Prix at the Tuscan GP in 2020. We accessed the first floor to look for clues about the new Ferrari car. 2024. Illusions. “Before you come, we have to hide the car for next year.”warned one of its managers.
We access the first floor, on an interior terrace where you can see the entire main floor of the factory under our feet. To the right, a large open space to improve communication between departments, filled with tables and computers where engineers work. On the left, the most magical place, the workshop bay. There are 5 slots to accommodate 5 F1’s to work at once.
At that moment, mechanics work on some cars from previous years to prepare them for future tests. It should be noted that, usually, Sainz and Leclerc They drive a car from previous years in January on the track Fiorano, located right next to this factory, to warm up the engines before testing the new car. In that workshop is where Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc They will see for the first time their new car for 2024. A small part of the great F1 factory, which It has up to 1,4000 workers looking for success. Dream Factory
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
