Photos: Ferrari

On the 100th anniversary of Fiat Chairman Gianni Agnelli, Ferrari announced the opening of a new exhibition that commemorates the unique relationship developed between the two, showcasing the one-off cars built by Ferrari for Agnelli and passionately customized in close collaboration with him. The official online opening of the exhibition titled “Gianni Agnelli and Ferrari. The Elegance of the Legend.” took place on March 12 on the Ferrari Museums’ social media channels and website.

This relationship started in 1948 at the Turin Motor Show when the Avvocato was keen on the 166 MM which he described as a Barchetta (a word to describe open-top sports cars) and commissioned in green and blue scheme.

On display is also a 1952 blue 212 Inter with a magnolia white roof and customized headlamps, a 1955 375 America designed by PininFarina, a 1959 Pinin Farina-bodied 400 Superamerica, a 1966 365 P Speciale berlinetta designed by Pinifarina and featuring three seats with the driver located centrally, a Testarossa spider and an F40 with a special Valeo electronic clutch.

In 2000, his latest request was a 360 Spider finished in a silver-grey livery presented to Ferrari chairman Luca Di Montezemolo as a gift for his wedding. To conclude the exhibition is the Ferrari F2003-GA F1 car, named after Agnelli as a tribute to him one month after his death on January 24th 2003.

Ferrari Chairman John Elkann stated: “The exhibition we are opening tomorrow tells of an extraordinary encounter. It combines, on the one hand, the excitement that the most beautiful cars in the world evoke in people who love driving, and on the other, the enormous respect and real passion that my grandfather had for Maranello cars. A passion that led him to make every Ferrari he owned special and which we are happy to share with all the enthusiasts”.

Deputy Chairman Piero Ferrari mentioned the mutual respect and esteem the two great entrepreneurs shared: “My father was impressed by the Avvocato’s power, acumen and ability in business. They understood each other intuitively and that relationship consolidated over the years, culminating in the agreement in 1969 that created one of the strongest partnerships in the automotive world. I was with my father on that historic day when I had the pleasure of meeting Agnelli. From then on, with FIAT by his side, we felt that our company had a guarantee of continuity and development”.

Between now and April 1 you can book a 30-minute live virtual tour of this unique collection by visiting the Ferrari Museum website.