A new edition from Montblanc celebrates the life and achievements of Enzo Ferrari
When it comes to craftsmanship, it is said that the ‘devil and the angels are in the details’, and nowhere is this better observed than through the new Great Characters Edition from Montblanc, dedicated to Enzo Ferrari and his passion for racing.
There are three version of the Montblanc pen - Special edition, Limited Edition 1898 and Limited Edition 98 (of which just 98 will be made) - and to fully understand each intricate detail, it helps to first understand the life and achievements of the man himself.
The yellow resin represents the colour of the city of Modena. It is embedded in a metal grid, which in turn is inspired by a vintage car grill
Enzo Ferrari was born on February 18th, 1898, in Modena, Italy. At the age of twenty-five he turned his passion for speed into reality by becoming a racing driver, winning his first race at the Circuito del Savio in Ravenna, for Costruzioni Meccaniche Nazionali.
In 1929, having participated in over forty races, Enzo founded his own racing team, Scuderia Ferrari and in 1949, the first car with the Ferrari marque was built at the Maranello factory – the 1500cc 12-cylinder 125 S.
Why are these details important? Because Montblanc have meticulously included them (and more) in their exceptional writing tributes. The 125 S, for example, is celebrated on the Limited Edition 1898 through the metal that adorns the cap and barrel, a direct nod to the engine surface of the car itself.
With its latest Great Characters Edition, Montblanc pays tribute to the life and legacy of Enzo Ferrari
On the same pen, the Maranello factory’s address is embossed on the cap top, while even the Montblanc emblem is set in frosted quartz, to resemble the frozen windows on which Enzo would practice his signature as a young boy, while he dreamed of becoming a racing driver. And for those looking for an extra level of authenticity, the ink is available in exactly the same purple favoured by Enzo Ferrari.
Perhaps the most immediate Ferrari detail on the Special Edition is the colour of both the cap and barrel, that glorious red inspired by Ferrari’s ‘Rosso 70 Anni’, but a closer look reveals much more.
The writing instrument's metal ruthenium-coated clip is laser-engraved with Enzo Ferrari's own words
Enzo’s personal quote, “You cannot describe passion, you can only live it” is laser-engraved into the metal ruthenium-coated clip, and the Fountain Pen version goes even further, with its solid gold rhodium coated nib engraved with a Ferrari 250 GTO wheel and the word, Pilota.
Add to these the Prancing Horse logo, the vents alongside the clip that evoke the famous Ferrari V12 engine and even, on the Limited Edition 98, four vents on each side of the cap (to represent side of the bodywork of the 1952 Ferrari 500 F2, winner of the first F1 Championship for the Scuderia) and you have a Montblanc series that perfectly encapsulates the life and incredible achievements of Enzo Ferrari.