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.
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