Born for speed, reborn for beauty

Collecting is a form of mania. Whether it’s classic vinyl records, vintage sneakers or first edition books, the completist urge can overcome common sense. Yet to those in its thrall, it’s also extremely satisfying. 

Ferrari collectors are among the most ardent of all, and it’s easy to see why given its story of human endeavour, extraordinary engineering and motorsport success. It’s no surprise, then, that there are dedicated folk all over the world who want a piece of it. Every Ferrari component, however big or small, plays a critical part in a car’s story, whether it’s a Ferrari racing car or an elegant sports car. Ferrari’s new Collectibles range, a highlight of this year’s Milan Design Week, taps into this idea in spectacular fashion with engineering originally born for speed now reborn for beauty.

Watch the video to explore Ferrari's new Collectibles range 

Although various parts of decommissioned Ferrari racing cars have been available to purchase for a while now, a dedicated team in the company’s Centro Stile has set to work re-framing them. The aim is to maximise their sculptural qualities and breathe new life into them, a mission that’s been accomplished by using aluminium and perspex to support them as objects.

“The use of transparent materials and structural elements gives an effect of suspension and lightness to the object in question,” Ferrari’s Chief Design Officer, Flavio Manzoni, explains. “This allows it to be contemplated in the essence of its form. This approach is consistent with our way of working in automotive design, where we tend to operate by subtraction rather than adding the superfluous.” 

Manzoni and his team are as influenced by product and industrial designers as any of the great car designers, and often bring their knowledge and eclecticism into play on new Ferrari models. But for the Ferrari collectibles range, the work of Japanese designer Shiro Kuramata had a specific impact: his notion of ‘dematerialisation’ was all about giving the idea and the physical object equal prominence. 

From championship-winning engines to pistons and crankshafts, Ferrari Collectibles celebrates the beauty of engineering masterpieces

Amongst the items on display in Milan are a Tipo 048B engine that was originally seen powering the F399, the car that propelled Ferrari to a long-awaited Constructors’ title in the 1999 Formula One world championship, a 6.3-litre V12 that was used in a prototype of the ground-breaking LaFerrari, a camshaft from the F2003-GA, a component from the F1 car with which Michael Schumacher won the driver’s title that year, and an exhaust from the F60, as raced in the 2009 F1 world championship by Kimi Räikkönen.

To possess one is to hold a fragment of Ferrari’s spirit—an eternal reminder of performance, beauty, and the relentless pursuit of perfection.