Most of us will never own a Ferrari, the boyhood dreams of driving a car with a prancing horse on the front will unfortunately for many, be dashed in adulthood. The closest the majority of us will ever get will be to own a piece of Ferrari merchandise. Slightly more affordable than the big red machines it offers the chance to at least own something with the famous logo emblazoned upon it.
For the drivers of the Ferrari racing team, wearing team merchandise comes as part and parcel of the job. Unlike the fans however, Ferrari drivers can afford to buy the road cars that represent the pinnacle of transport technology. This weekend sees the release of the Ferrari car for the 2008 season, the Tifosi, the name given to the army of fans that follow Scuderia Ferrari worldwide will be eagerly awaiting this event, and will undoubtedly be rushing to the team shop to buy the new season’s merchandise range.
With such a racing pedigree it is little wonder that Ferrari road cars are so popular amongst the rich and famous. The latest offering; the 430 Scuderia Berlinetta is a sumptuous example of the Ferrari methodology. Based upon the F430 it is a tweaked and stripped supercar; it will be made in a small number and was unveiled with the usual heraldry and accompanying merchandise. Styled in an elegant, timeless manner, it offers those who can afford it the latest technology engineered by the Ferrari racing team.
A number of years ago saw the release of Ferrari Enzo; described as the best driving experience ever created for the road user, it was designed with a great deal of input from Michael Schumacher. A legendary racer with an astute sense of handling and performance his help in the developmental stages of design are said to have born a car that is as close to a Formula 1 car possible, and still road legal.
Unfortunately this model was created in such a small number that only the world’s elite will ever have the joy of driving the awesome machine. Luckily the merchandise range includes a scale model of the car, so at least lowly motor enthusiasts can investigate the car at close quarters.
Ferrari cars have long since been seen in reverence by the world’s motoring fraternity. They combine classic Italian styling with uncompromising performance; the ethos of the company has been the same since Enzo started the road car company purely to fund his racing team Scuderia. Performance is always paramount in the Ferrari design workshop, every unit that rolls off the production line stands testament to the racing pedigree and the Italian fixation for looking good at a cost.
Ferrari as a global brand has also grown considerably since the early nineties. As well as the merchandise directly related to the race team, a bright spark in the marketing department saw the potential of the prancing horse as a worldwide icon. The merchandise range now includes toiletries, teddy bears and binoculars; seemingly there is a desire for anything with the company logo adorned upon it.
This has to be because Ferrari cars are always seen as the best of the best. People young and old stop and stare when a Ferrari drives past, the noise of the engine, the drop dead gorgeous looks and the striking red colouration combine to make jaws drop all over the globe.
This is why there are so many willing to buy the merchandise; the prancing horse is synonymous with style and speed. These are brand characteristics that cannot be bought, it is only through decades of racing success and the production of the finest cars that Ferrari has created one of the most recognisable symbols on the planet; not only in motor sport but in all fields of life.