Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - What you need to stay at Casa Enzo Ferrari, the trackside home of "the Pope of the north" - FZ Restoration Livermore- 925-294-5666


A marque's memorabilia: Casa Enzo Ferrari


by Tony Davis

For a certain type of motor-sport-obsessed tourist, it might be the ultimate private hotel. It provides a chance not only to stay next to a famous racetrack, but also in premises once used by Enzo Ferrari – and lived in by Michael Schumacher. It is very exclusive too: merely having the ability to raise the substantial tariff (POA) isn't enough. You have to apply to Ferrari for the right to stay.
The Casa Enzo Ferrari is a three-storey, converted farmhouse near the main straight of the Fiorano race circuit, a piston-rod's throw from the Ferrari factory in Maranello, northern Italy.
The ground floor consists, on one side, of Enzo's trackside office and dining room, where he discussed life, motor sport tactics and art with a succession of famous drivers including Niki Lauda​, Gilles Villeneuve​ and Mario Andretti​.
These rooms are preserved in perfect detail, down to Enzo's books, furniture, and dial-up telephones. The couches, chairs, tables and lamps mostly date to the early 1970s and are well worn.

The prancing horse is embossed on the red wall behind the desk at Casa Enzo Ferrari.


The old man, affectionately known in Italy as "the Pope of the north", died in 1988, aged 90. A glass-fronted and firmly locked liquor cabinet is still crammed with Enzo's collection of spirits.
"We have kept everything as he left it, out of respect," says my guide, Ferrari's Virginia Sciacca. "It is special for guests to know it was his couch, his TV, and the record player he used."
A wall of terracotta tiles – installed in Enzo's time – display the prancing horse logo. The only things that have been added since are memorabilia, including photos and models of Ferrari cars, old and new.

LOOK BUT DON'T TOUCH

The tariff at Casa Enzo Ferrari is POA.



The one thing guests can't do in this part of the casa is touch. There is instead an additional floor-and-a-half filled with luxurious furniture from famed Italian brand Poltrona Frau for guests to sit on, sleep on and work in. And the televisions in the casa's accommodation are a lot larger than Enzo's original.

This modern section was refurbished four years ago by architect Piero Lissoni. Facilities include a massage room and a sports-style change room should the guest need to suit up for track activities (wealthy clients testing their new cars, or practicing for Ferrari's gentlemen's race series are typical guests – as are celebrities with a Ferrari affliction).

The luxurious double bedroom has track views. For much of the time during his long stint at Ferrari, Michael Schumacher lived in these rooms, according to Sciacca, enabling him to test from early in the morning to late at night.

Guests have access to a wet bar, a humidor, two separate lounge rooms and two well-equipped offices. A butler is on 24-hour call and food can be delivered from the nearby Ristorante Cavallino. A complete V8 engine is presented among the various works of art.

The top floor we don't get to see. It is reserved solely for Ferrari's current Formula One drivers when they are at the factory, the adjacent race facilities or performing test work on the track.

Ferrari is open about its policy of always building one fewer car than the market demands, and a similar deliberate scarcity seems to carry over to accommodation. "Staying here is a unique experience at a high price," Sciacca says. "For a passionate and crazy Ferrari fan, this is the best. The possibility of staying here is still elitist. Just owning a Ferrari is not enough."

She says permission to stay comes down to the quality of the cars you own, your bank account and your name. "We want to keep it that way. We have to keep the dream high."

source: http://www.afr.com/brand/luxury/what-you-need-to-stay-at-casa-enzo-ferrari-the-trackside-home-of-the-pope-of-the-north-20150723-giipwq

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