The new Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena ... construction work has started


Complesso Museale

Complesso Museale

Mr. Piero Ferrari (left) and Mr. Giorgio Pighi, mayor of Modena, uncover the sculpture which symbolizes the cornerstone of the new Enzo Ferrari Museum

Mr. Piero Ferrari (left) and Mr. Giorgio Pighi, mayor of Modena, uncover the sculpture which symbolizes the cornerstone of the new Enzo Ferrari Museum

The project of the Enzo Ferrari Museum is managed by the Enzo Ferrari Birthplace Foundation, established in 2003

The project of the Enzo Ferrari Museum is managed by the Enzo Ferrari Birthplace Foundation, established in 2003

AAC 815 s/n 021

AAC 815 s/n 021

AAC 815 s/n 021

AAC 815 s/n 021

AAC 815 s/n 021

AAC 815 s/n 021

AAC 815 s/n 021

AAC 815 s/n 021

AAC 815 s/n 021

AAC 815 s/n 021

 

Modena (Italy), May 19, 2009

With a simple ceremony, the construction work of the new Enzo Ferrari Museum has started on April 20, 2009 at his birthplace in Modena. Mr. Piero Ferrari, Enzo’s son, Mr. Giorgio Pighi, mayor of Modena, Mr. Mauro Tedeschini, president of the Enzo Ferrari Birthplace Foundation, uncovered a special sculpture which symbolize the shape of the new museum. 

The original building where Enzo Ferrari was born in 1898 will be fully restored and integrated in the new building (6,000 sq m) whose roof is shaped like the engine cover of a racing car. The form and the yellow colours are already an icon of the town, well in advance of the completion in 2011.

Mr. Piero Ferrari commented: “The restoration of the birthplace of my father and the new building make true his dream and lifelong work and passion: automobiles and racing. I’m pleased and moved to be here today and I want to come here again for the opening of the new Museums in 2011”. 

Mr. Giorgio Pighi, mayor of Modena, highlighted the values of the new Museum: “It is a symbol of the tradition, technology, style of the racing and sports car, which belong to Modena and the Motor Valley. The new museum is also a proof of the collaboration between local and central governments and private institutions and sponsors, started by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Modena”. 

Mr. Mauro Tedeschini mentioned members of the Foundation, contributors and sponsors, which include Ferrari, the Italian Automobile Club, the Modena Municipality, Province and Chamber of Commerce. A special thank went to Mr. Mario Righini who brought the first car ever built by Enzo Ferrari: the 1940 Auto Avio Costruzioni Type 815. It is the only one surviving of the two built then and it has been perfectly restored.  

The project of the Enzo Ferrari Museum is managed by the Enzo Ferrari Birthplace Foundation, established in 2003. The investment is worth € 15 million, funded by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage; Modena Municipality, Province, and Chamber of Commerce; Emilia-Romagna Region; banking institutions: Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Modena as well as UniCredit Banca, Banco S. Geminiano e S. Prospero, Banca Popolare dell’Emilia Romagna. 

The Museum celebrates not only the dream of the young Enzo Ferrari, but also the achievements of the many workers and entrepreneurs who made Modena and the area of the Emilia-Romagna Region, today known as “Motor Valley”, the world capital of motor sports. Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Dallara, Ducati are the brands with worldwide appeal and awareness still active in racing and production. Historical brands like Stanguellini, Ats, Minardi, Tecno, De Tomaso, Demm, Bimota, Morini, Minarelli were also located in the Motor Valley. 

The museums address is via Paolo Ferrari 85, in a presently neglected area in the centre of Modena, where the industrialization of the town began in the 19-th century. It will host a collection of cars and memorabilia related to Enzo Ferrari as the symbol of the motor heritage of Modena. It is also a symbol of the identity and the worldwide awareness of the  town, a trademark of the mechanical skills of local workers, a pole of attraction for culture and tourism. 

Digital multimedia technologies add value to the old building: visitors will enjoy an unique emotional experience. Cars are the protagonists in the new gallery: they will be displayed atop designer’s platforms, as they were masterpieces of art and miracles of engineering.  

The Museum will also include a documentation centre with a computer room to access the database of images and documents on the motor history of Modena. The core is the Swaters Collection, the largest one on Enzo Ferrari: the digitalization has already been completed by the Foundation. Cafeteria, bookshop, conference space up to 200 seats, and space for temporary exhibits will complete the facility. On-site parking space will be provided. 

The construction contract was won by a consortium of companies of the Region, while the project of the museum has been signed by Future Systems, London: Jan Kaplicky was the designer. Engineering and project management is by Politecnica, a Modena-based company.

THE 11-th WORLD FORUM FOR MOTOR MUSEUMS OPENS IN THE MECCA OF MOTORING HISTORY 

Early September in the Italian Motor Valley around Maranello, Emilia-Romagna Region, managed by the Enzo Ferrari Birthplace Foundation 

The countdown to the eleventh edition of the World Forum for Motor Museums is on. The biennial gathering of representatives of motor museums in the world opens on September 7, 2009 in Rimini, Italy, gateway to the Motor Valley, i.e., the area of the Emilia-Romagna Region where most of the history of motor racing has been written. And still is: Ferrari, Maserati, Ducati, Lamborghini and Dallara factories and racing departments are all located within a few miles of one another. 

The program of this year’s five-day Forum represents an innovative deviation from the long established format. (The Forum was established by Lord Montague of Beaulieu in 1989.) For the first time, workshops and roundtables on the hottest topics of sustainability, operations, and future of motor museums are held in different venues, which are the core of the Motor Valley. Nowhere else in the world, such a deep and exciting presence of motor museums and collections could be enjoyed within a small territory. 

A car and bike collection of the Motor Valley hosts, every day, the delegates: the opening takes place at the Maranello Rosso Collection, a breathtaking display of racing and GT Ferrari. Short transfers open the doors of the Ducati, Lamborghini, Stanguellini, Panini and Righini Collections. 

Should such a list not already be viewed as a not to be missed opportunity, the grand finale will be held at the Auditorium Enzo Ferrari in Maranello followed by the gala dinner hosted by Ferrari. 

The entertainment program includes dinners in an area widely acclaimed for the quality of food and the excellence of its cuisine. Protagonists of recent two- and four-wheel history have been contacted as keynote speakers. 

The Forum guarantees a full immersion in the spirit and the offering of the Motor Valley, while dealing with vital issues for the evolution and innovation of motor museums. Delegates, scholars, designers, specialists in digital imaging, car and bike restorers, fund-raisers share their skills and know-how. Managers of museums worldwide present case histories and discuss key topics, including the role of a motor museum in the territorial marketing, community-relation strategies, and the heritage marketing issue, i.e., the value of the history and tradition of a brand as a promotional value and competitive advantage for winning in tough times and critical markets. 

The World Forum Organizing Committee is managed by the Fondazione Casa Natale di Enzo Ferrari (Enzo Ferrari Birthplace Foundation) as the leading partner in a group of experts appointed by Emilia-Romagna APT Servizi (Regional Tourism Promotion Agency) and Motor Valley. 

The preliminary program has already been posted at worldforum2009.motorvalley.it and mailed to over 600 motor museums in the world, to which the Forum is reserved.