Words: Chris Rees
Behind the wheel of Chris Froggatt’s unique Ferrari Tailor Made GTC4Lusso
Passionate Ferrari owner Chris Froggatt spends a lot of his time at full tilt on the world’s racing circuits in the Ferrari Challenge series. It’s no surprise, then, that Chris’s collection of Ferraris has a distinctly track-orientated slant, including XX cars and Challenge racers.
But when it comes to his road cars, all are Ferrari Tailor Made. Each one is unique and to his exact specification. And the very latest addition to his Tailor Made collection is a GTC4Lusso, which Chris admits has a more classical feel than his other Tailor Made Ferraris, which tend towards a race-honed, technical character.
“With Tailor Made you have an endless choice to give the car the exact feel you want: sporty, classic or really out there. The style I’ve chosen for my GTC4Lusso is muted, more classical, more luxurious than sporty, closer to a touring car.”
The colour scheme echoes Eric Clapton’s famous Ferrari 250 SWB – grey with burgundy stripes – but it has a distinctly modern twist. The paint may be a classic historic colour (Grigio Scuro) but the subtle ‘Dreamlines’ picked out in Glossy Bordeaux Tintoretto, many of them on carbon parts, is very contemporary.
“In the sun, the colour scheme looks great,” says Chris. “It’s the Tailor Made detailing that I really like, such as the Matte Black wheels with grey highlights, the painted surfaces inside to match the exterior, and the Bordeaux Dreamlines on the steering wheel and gearshift paddles.”
For the cabin, Chris has chosen vintage-style Connolly Bordeaux Luxan leather upholstery, which has a soft, luxurious feel, and is beautifully offset by grey ‘suiting’ fabric inserts. “I saw a Veuve Clicquot Ferrari FF with a linen interior and that really enticed me,” says Chris. “When I went to the Tailor Made facility at Maranello, they showed me all sorts of fabrics, from Prince of Wales checks to Tartan, even denim, but when I saw this plain grey fabric, I knew it would suit this car.”
Among dozens of special touches are ‘Tailor Made’ lettering embossed between the rear seats and ‘Tailor Made’ plates on the door sill covers. Chris’s eyes light up as he recalls how Ferrari took things one stage further on his first ever Tailor Made car, an F12tdf. “That was delivered with its sill plates personally signed by both of Ferrari’s F1 drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen. That was a complete surprise – and a really welcome one.”
Chris cites another impressive example of the level of personalisation on offer. “My Tailor Made California T has a bespoke white paint scheme. A really cool thing is that the colour didn’t exist in Ferrari’s palette, so I got to name the colour.”
Chris’s GTC4Lusso takes up its place in his fleet of Ferraris as his daily driver. “It’s got four proper seats and a good sized boot. Even though it’s a Ferrari, it’s not as noticeable on the road. And it’s so easy to use and drive. I hope to take it to Spa-Francorchamps in May for the Ferrari Challenge weekend.”
Chris’s enthusiasm for the feeling he gets from Ferrari Tailor Made is clear. “It’s like an extended family, and I genuinely look forward to spending time with the team. You get to see the huge variety of things you can do and it’s really cool that you can render your car in real time.
“Having your car Tailor Made is really worth doing, especially if you plan to keep your car, as I do. It makes you feel like it’s your car, just the way you want it – an absolute level of personalisation. It’s a part of me, that’s how I see this car.”