Just what is it that makes the legendary V12 pedigree so special to Ferraristi? In the third of a series of interviews with international collectors, Swiss businessman Patrick Früh explains his love of twelve cylinders…
In October 2015 Patrick Früh’s Zurich dealer invited him to Monte Carlo to test drive a California T. “We drove the old route of the Monte Carlo Rally,” he recalls, “and everything about the event was just perfect. The weather, the cars, the people involved. What more could you ask for, really?” The then 35-year-old was immediately smitten. So much so that, once back home in Switzerland he immediately ordered a California T in Rosso California, taking delivery the following spring. After acquiring a 430 Scuderia, then a 488 GTB, his first V12 arrived. “An F12berlinetta!” he exclaims. “From that moment on I decided to start collecting the V12 models, not just the V8s.”
Above: Früh's V12 collection includes an 812 Superfast, an F12tdf and an F12berlinetta
“To me,” says Früh, the Swiss owner of a very successful events and exhibitions company, “V12s combine exquisite design, high performance and sporting heritage. All in one package.”
What had it been about that first V12 that ‘turned him’? “That F12berlinetta was in Rosso Corsa. You know, I just immediately liked the design,” he says. “The styling on the flanks, the lines.” Excitement evident in his voice, he declares: “It’s just a masterpiece. In terms of design. As a lifestyle piece, and as a work of art.”
Above: Früh behind the wheel of his F12tdf
The bulging Früh V12 ’art collection’ took in a GTC4Lusso, followed by a 599 GTB, an F12tdf, and a triptych of 812s, the Superfast, GTS, and Competizione A. “Yes, over the years, my passion for these beautiful works of art from Maranello has developed into a really nice collection,” he says. “I’ve been adding to it constantly, including some older cars alongside the current models,” he says.
Currently the collection totals no less than ten V12 models, ranging from a 330 GT 2+2 to a Purosangue. He is already eyeing the 12Cilindri. And its Spider sister. Despite the enormous choice, he adamantly refuses to pick out a favourite. “From the newer models like the 812 GTS or the F12tdf to classics like the 365 GTB4 ‘Daytona’, or my 1967 330 GT 2+2, they are all so much fun to drive,” insists Früh. But he does attempt to describe that famous V12 sound: “You know, it’s something overwhelming, an earthy, deep sound, that immediately puts a smile on your face.”
Above: Früh puts his F12tdf through its paces on the stunning roads outside Zurich
Früh stores his V8 and his V12 in neat lines on either side of his garage, arranged by the year each car was built. “Every time I go into the hangar I’m struck by the sheer artistry of these cars,” he says. He’s also noticed the effect upon visitors too. “Whenever I have visitors, we always end up pausing in front of the V12s, and we start talking and philosophising about them. It’s not that the smaller engines are less interesting. It’s just that I think, for most petrolheads, the V12s still have that ‘wow’ factor.”
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