London Design Museum announces Ferrari exhibition

Exhibitions 24 Jul 2017

The Design Museum in London has announced “Ferrari: Under the Skin”, an exhibition scheduled for late 2017, with a behind-the-scenes look at the brand’s history. A preview is currently on show at the Museo Ferrari in Maranello.

Celebrating the 70th anniversary of Ferrari, the exhibition offers an insight into the life of Enzo Ferrari, unique cars and rarely seen documents, documenting the design, manufacturing and engineering of the brand. It will open on 15 November 2017 and run to 15 April 2018.

Ferrari 166-195 Sport Coupe MM – Color illustration

This ambitious display will bring together early design models, drawings, letters and memorabilia as well as some of the most famous Ferraris to be seen on roads and racing circuits around the world. Together, these artefacts and original documents provide an unprecedented study of automotive design.

F150 design drawing by Flavio Manzoni

Key exhibits include rare personal memorabilia and archival material relating to Enzo Ferrari’s life, early cars, wind tunnel models and hand-sculpted models in both clay and wood.

Side view with the mechanics in the transparency of the first Ferrari car, 125 S– Gioachino Colombo’s project executed in August 1945

Dedicated displays will explore the design development, engineering and manufacturing of Ferrari together with the company’s phenomenal attention to detail in every element of the cars’ design. The exhibition will also present Ferrari’s racing heritage, the ongoing quest for innovation as well as the glamour of their well-known clientele.

Clay Model of the Ferrari J50, car released in 2016

The exhibition pays tribute to Enzo Ferrari and his passion for racing which ultimately gave rise to the brand. The son of a manufacturer in Modena, he became a racing driver in 1919 and competed for Alfa Romeo. In 1947, Enzo Ferrari launched his own car – a new, complex 12-cylinder engine designed entirely with performance in mind – a bold move in post-war Italy. His cars soon started to win races and attract a clientele of wealthy and famous patrons, which in turn built the reputation for the brand.

Meeting on the 20th Anniversary of the 250 GTO-In the picture deployment of GTOs in the estate of Pierre Bardinon

Andrew Nahum, curator of “Ferrari: Under the Skin” commented: ‘Ferrari’s story has been one of the great adventures of the industrial age. It also represents an absorbing case study in design and development. Ferrari uses the subtle and often unseen techniques of automobile design but with the utmost care and precision and the exhibition provides an insight into the history and practice of the whole private world of automotive design.’