Ferrari will celebrate its long and impressive history with Adelaide with a series of public events during the Clipsal 500 Adelaide in the city this week.
Ferrari’s participation will include Australia’s first dynamic display of the LaFerrari, a dynamic F1 show featuring international driver, exclusive Ferrari supercars display, a specially designed Ferrari kids’ zone area, and a series of Ferrari ‘Drive for Kids’ Calvalcade for charity.
“Ferrari is thrilled to collaborate with Clipsal 500 organisers, the South Australian government, to bring the prancing horse to Adelaide with an array of Ferrari displays and exciting events for motorsport fans of all ages throughout the week. These will include the chance to see a display of the world’s rarest Supercars featuring; the 288GTO, F40, F50, and ‘LaFerrari’, plus more than 50 dazzling examples of our marque through the decades in the Ferrari ‘Drive for Kids’ Cavalcades for charity,” said Ferrari Australasia CEO Herbert Appleroth. “We’re proud of our F1 history in Adelaide and the official Ferrari F1 Show will also ensure that the streets of Adelaide once again hear the roar of a Ferrari F1 over the weekend.”
One event highlight is sure to be the first-ever Australian dynamic display of the supercar, LaFerrari. Unveiled at the Geneva motorshow in 2013, and awarded Top Gear’s ‘Car of the Year’ Award in 2014, there were just 499 LaFerrari vehicles ever produced – two of them will be on display in Adelaide. LaFerrari is considered Ferrari’s most ambitious project yet.
It boasts the most extreme performance ever achieved by a Ferrari production car and features the most advanced and innovative technical solutions which will, in the future, filter down to the rest of the Ferrari range.
Several other rare Ferrari supercars including the F40, F50 and 288GTO will also be displayed in the SuperCar display area at the Clipsal 500.
The Ferrari ‘Drive for Kids’ Cavalcades will also provide a dazzling display over the weekend, showcasing 31 Ferrari unique luxury vehicles from throughout the decades. Kids from the Clipsal 500 official charity, Variety – The Children’s Charity have been given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride in these vehicles thanks to corporate and public donations. More than $70,000 has been raised to date and will be donated to support the important work of Variety – The Children’s Charity, the Adelaide Women’s & Children’s Hospital, and Childhood Cancer Foundation.
2015 marks the 30th Anniversary of Australian Grand Prix which started in Adelaide. As a result of their long association with the city, Ferrari unveiled two F1 show cars over the weekend that will take to the track in an impressive dynamic F1 driver display incorporating hot laps to delight motorsport fans and car enthusiasts. The cars were carefully unloaded from wooden crates, direct from their long-haul flight from the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy. The cars are F60 models – the fifty-fifth single-seater built by Ferrari specifically to compete in the Formula 1 World Championship. The name of the car was chosen to celebrate the Scuderia Ferrari’s participation in all 60 editions of the Formula 1 World Championship since 1950 to date. Ferrari remains the only team to have competed in F1 every year, including a celebrated win in Adelaide with Gerhard Berger in 1987.
To support the celebrations, Ferrari will fly internationally renowned F1 driver and newly appointed test driver for Scuderia Ferrari, Jean-Éric Vergne, into Adelaide. With an impressive history of racing at the top level, Vergne’s appearance on the track at the Clipsal 500 is sure to impress and excite motorsport fans.
Clipsal 500 CEO, Mark Warren, says Ferrari’s presence brings a unique level of prestige to this year’s event. “We are very excited to have the world’s best known automotive brand integrated throughout our event. Motorsport fans will have the rare opportunity to experience all elements of the Ferrari brand up close and personal when they attend this year’s Clipsal 500,” Warren says.
Earlier this year, Ferrari opened the only South Australian authorised sales and service showroom at 299 Hindley Street Adelaide as a result of growing demand for luxury vehicles in Australia. The showroom features the latest Ferrari models including the California T, the FF, and the 458 Speciale.
“The opening of Adelaide Ferrari marks an important step in the future growth of the Ferrari marque, both in Australia and across the region,” commented Herbert Appleroth CEO Ferrari Australasia. “Given the strong history of motorsport in Adelaide, there already exists a natural affinity for the Ferrari brand in the city. We’re excited to showcase the latest Ferrari product to our customers in this new, cutting-edge facility.”