Cars
The Badge As An Artwork
As every Ferrari owner knows, the eyes are captivated by the details. And the details are a crucial part of what have made Ferrari one of the most sought-after car makes in the world ever since that very first 125 S rolled out of the gates at Maranello in 1947. Many of the details which make every Ferrari an oeuvre are realised or finished by hand. It is an artisanal approach that is adopted not for want of mechanised alternatives; it’s a deliberate effort, a part of what makes each Ferrari unique, something that enhances each car’s value to its owner.
Above: the process begins with the application of the stencil
Take, for example, the hand-painted Scuderia Ferrari fender shield (or scudetto aerografato, as they say at Maranello). Available as an option on all Ferrari models, it has recently been made available as an option also to clients of the Ferrari Purosangue. Each fender shield – there are two per car: one on each side, between the front fender and wheel – is manually applied by highly skilled and trained Maranello craftsmen working within the paint department.
“The simplest solution would have been to use stickers, covered by a layer of clear coat to keep them in place and protect them from the elements,” remarks Stefano Del Puglia, Head of Painting at Maranello. “But Ferrari is not known for seeking the easy way out.” Indeed, the entire painting process takes up to eight hours per fender shield. In other words, those little scudetti add up to 16 hours of manual work per car. Talk about passion.
Above: the first layer of paint is applied to the stencil
Above: one of the most delicate moments of the process is the removal of the stencil layers
The paint process begins with the application of the colour black, along with its protective clear coat. Next comes Giallo Modena, along with its layer of clear coat. Then come the red and green of the Italian flag – these two being painted together in one go since they don’t overlap – along with their clear coat. The entire process is repeated for all the remaining layers, following which the fender shield is allowed to dry.
After a quality control check, another critical step – the sanding – is then carried out. Using orbital sanders the paint artisans smooth the surface of the fender shield, ensuring unity between it and the car body itself. Lastly, the scudetto undergoes a crucial humidity resistance test. A special, hermetically sealed ‘humidity chamber’ that creates an extremely wet environment is placed over the fender shield and left there for almost a full day. Should tiny bubbles appear on the surface once the chamber is removed – a phenomenon called ‘blistering’ – something has gone wrong and the entire process must be repeated from the beginning (but this has never happened, according to Del Puglia).
Above: the badge in its final stages. The painter uses surgical tools in the process, ensuring a perfect outcome every time
For those lucky Ferrari owners who choose this optional finish, the scudetto aerografato is like an autograph by its creator through which he expresses his abilities and craftsmanship. After all, no two fender shields will ever be the same, something that enhances the value of the work itself. It is one more way the Prancing Horse rewards its customers, a detail that surely would make Enzo proud.