Ferrari Classiche was established to provide restoration and maintenance services, technical assistance and Certificates of Authenticity to owners of classic Ferraris. Housed in the former Ferrari Foundry building within Ferrari’s Maranello, Italy factory, the 10,225 square foot Classiche offices and workshop were officially opened by Ferrari President, Luca di Montezemolo, in July 2006.
Sports Car Digest toured the Ferrari Classiche facility and came away impressed by the services offered to Ferrari clients. During our visit, a wide range of street and racing Ferraris were being restored or serviced, including a 250 GT Lusso, 250 Tour de France, 250 GT SWB, 250 GT California Spyder, 365 GT4 BB and Monoposto Corsa Indianapolis race car.
Restoration
Maintaining and servicing vintage Ferraris is a specialized and delicate process, which is why Ferrari offers its Clients a first-class restoration service aimed at protecting the heritage of these classic vehicles.
Detailed information on each component, from every Ferrari ever built, is stored in the company’s extensive archive. All assembly sheets, plus the original designs are also stored here. And because Ferrari Classiche has access to the in-house Foundry and the very same tooling machines used to make the original parts, the team of experts is able to restore any Ferrari to its pristine, original condition.
If any non-original mechanical parts are found, the car may still be restored to its authentic condition as Ferrari can produce or supply spares conforming to the original specifications and manufactured using original designs and specialist machinery. The manufacture and supply of original components is clearly an essential part of the restoration and maintenance service provided by Ferrari Classiche to help owners fully restore historic Ferrari models to their original splendor.
Certificate of Authenticity
One of the main functions of Ferrari Classiche is to issue Certificates of Authenticity to road-going Ferraris more than 20 years old, as well as to all Ferrari F1 single-seaters, sports cars and sports-prototypes of all ages.
The Ferrari Certificate of Authenticity is an official document attesting that the car it is issued to is completely authentic in every respect. Thanks to its extensive archives, in which the assembly sheets for every car built at Maranello since 1947 are stored, Ferrari can verify with absolute accuracy the conformity or otherwise of its cars to their original designs.
The Certificates officially attest to the cars’ authenticity and also provide important documentation for buyers should the certified vehicles ever be sold on. Another advantage is that all certified cars are permitted to take part in official Ferrari events including, for instance, the Shell Ferrari Historic Challenge.
During the certification process, the cars undergo a thorough inspection at the Classiche HQ in Maranello or at authorized centers around the world. Using Ferrari’s extensive historical archives, a committee of experts known as COCER (Certification Committee), chaired by Ferrari Vice President Piero Ferrari, evaluates the technical characteristics of each car put forward for certification. This technical examination of the car is the most important step in the process. It reveals whether the car is fully functioning, and if its chassis, engine, gearbox, transmission, suspension, brakes, wheels, bodywork and interior are original or at least comply with the original specifications.
Introduced in 2009, attestation for vehicles of historic interest is available to Ferrari cars that, although they do not fully comply with the strict Ferrari authenticity certification criteria, have been deemed, as a result of their competition and/or international recognized show history, to be of historic interest.
Ferrari Classiche Picture Gallery (click image for larger photo)
If my recollection is correct, one Ferrari brought in for authentication was found to have been stolen some years earlier. The “owner” then no longer owned the car.
If you have never been there, it is well worth the trip. Every one makes you so welcome and the staff are great. I could have spent a whole day there just talking to Christos and Marco, enjoying the cars.
We too, were fortunate enough to spend an hour or two with Christo and Marco in the Classiche department. It was just an awesome experience to see those craftsman working on such priceless gems. They even took us into the archives where they pulled the microfiche with all of the details about my ’66 330 GTC….took my breath away. A must do for any Ferrari lover. sdm