News December 9 2006

Ferraris finish a 32,000 trek across the Americas

Two new V12 599 GTB Fioranos completed an arduous 32,000 km drive from Brazil to New York last month. Not only did the two Ferraris have to survive crossing the Andes, the Rockies, deserts and rain forests, heat and ice and some of the worst roads and traffic in the world, they also had motoring writers from around the world – including Australia and New Zealand – putting the cars through their paces.

The run finally came to an end in New York outside the New York Stock Exchange.

On an often gruelling 15-leg journey, a team of 48 journalists took turns driving from Belo Horizonte in Brazil to the Argentinean pampas; over Andean plateaus and through mountain passes some 13,000 feet above sea level; through the Central American tropics and across Mexico and the United States, with a final stop in Canada before reaching the final destination in New York.

This is not the first time Ferrari has embarked on this type of journey. In 1997 it sent the F355 model on a tour around the world. Just last year two 612 Scagliettis made a tour of all China, the first time any automobile maker has accomplished this feat (see previous article ).

Sports fans are used to seeing the Ferrari on Formula 1 tracks, and to appreciating its special talent for racing, but these long road tests are important for two reasons:

First, they show that today’s Ferrari can be driven in every type of road condition. A case in point: in the past ten years the average mileage accumulated by Ferrari drivers has doubled. Second, they bring the Ferrari closer to an adoring public that goes beyond the ranks of racing fans.

The finish line was set up in place of great symbolic importance: for over 50 years, the United States has been Ferrari’s number one market, and many of its customers are members of the American business communities.

In a short speech the head of Ferrari North America Maurizio Parlato emphasized that the cars had proven their extraordinary reliability, having made it though the rugged Andean roads with minimal damage to the tyres and rims. The only thing they needed were regular oil changes provided by Shell, which provided roadside assistance for the whole tour.

The two 599 GTB Fioranos (see our ItalianCat FACTfile) reached the end of their journey in New York with only minor modifications to allow them to travel the toughest roads: for underbody protection a 4 mm thick aluminum plate was used rather than standard plastic, and the shock absorbers were slightly raised to handle the roughest roads. In all other regards, they were identical to the other cars in the series, with a 611 bhp Ferrari Enzo-derived 5,999cc V12 motor, and maximum torque of 448 lb/ft produced at 5,600 rpm. Both cars had the six-speed F1 gearbox, and a transaxle transmission.

On this occasion, Ferrari thanked the sponsors that made this adventure possible: especially Shell, a long-time partner of Ferrari also in Formula 1 racing, which provided roadside assistance and a range of high-performance fuels and lubrication; Alcoa, a strategic partner for the production of aluminum chassis that is the standard for the whole Ferrari line today; the FIAT group, which provided transportation using the Iveco support system and escort vehicles of FIAT and Alfa Romeo, a brand that has attracted great interest in the United States (and is planning a return – neither Alfa nor Fiat sell new vehicles in the US at present); and Case IH – the global agriculture equipment leader – and finally, Pirelli for the tyres, Puma for the Panamerican team uniforms, Saima Avandero for the logistics, and BuonItalia.

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Ferrari in North and South America

North America is Ferrari’s biggest market—accounting for a 30% share—with sales of approximately 1,550 vehicles a year.

The top North American market is California (27% of sales), followed by the North East (16%), Florida (11%), Texas (7%), and Chicago (6%). In 1995 the number of North American Ferrari dealers grew to 36 (32 in the United States and 4 in Canada), when two new locations were opened in Silicon Valley and Las Vegas. Existing dealers also made significant investments to expand their facilities and improve operations. In 2004 Ferrari North America inaugurated a showroom at 410 Park Avenue in New York to exhibit its extraordinary products at one of America’s premium locations.

To build up and consolidate Ferrari’s presence in Central and South America, starting in January 2006 Ferrari North America became the lead office for the countries of the area. The main markets are Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela, for a total of 12 sales points. This consolidation will expand the number of dealerships, and increase customer satisfaction.

© italiancar.net 09/12/06