Story and Photos Mike Spicer
I have always been attracted to Italian sports cars. The sexy lines make these cars look fast while standing still. As a young car nut a Ferrari poster was an easy choice on my wall growing up. Today I feel the same excitement when I spot a 250GT SWB parked at the racetrack still holding all its glory and aging better every year.
Growing up in the United States I love American iron. The vision of big cars rolling down the highway with fake wood paneling makes me feel good. As I got older I was exposed to European cars and started to tune into their more subtle refinements. My neighbor down the street was into Alfa Romeos and I noticed the little Pininfarina badge on his cars. From that moment on I started paying attention to Pininfarina designed automobiles.
It is great to see important cars celebrated at auctions and on the racetrack. Ferraris have skyrocketed in value over the years and some cars are commanding significant prices. Going to an auto auction at Pebble Beach is like attending a master class in auto design.
As more and more Ferrari’s are restored and brought to market it is interesting to see the different one-offs and important race cars restored to new condition. And with the barn find trends it is also refreshing to see a car that has not been touch in years.
When you think of a Ferrari color the first one that pops into your head is red. Starting in the 1920s each country was designated a color for nationality competing teams, red being the national racing color of Italy. I always find it refreshing to see a Ferrari painted in other colors than red and to me it gives a softer less aggressive presentation of the elegant lines on the cars.
Every time I ask a Ferrari owner if I can see the engine a smile crosses their face as they move to open the hood. The heart of every Ferrari is the wonderful piece of engineering art called the engine. Some cars have a window that allows visibility to the engine while the hood is closed to celebrate both design and engineering at the same time.
From the very first car ever built priority number one was performance. Winning is in the DNA of each Ferrari. Their successful heritage on the track combined with elegant looks makes them a timeless work of rolling art that will always be beautiful to look at and drive. As an adult I still have posters of these cars on my wall. Some things never change.
