Almost two years ago there was a new milestone in the Ferrari story, with the
official opening of the new Ferrari Classiche workshop and offices on the 25th of
July 2006, although it had ben operational in a lower key format for over a year
before that. As befits a department involved in the company’s heritage, the new
division’s operating base is sited on historic ground within the original Ferrari
factory premises in Maranello, Italy. The invitation only opening ceremony was
attended by selected international journalists, including noted luminaries like
Paul Frere, Karl Ludvigsen and Gianni Rogliatti, together with Ferrari
dealer/concessionaire personnel.
The modus operandi of the Ferrari Classiche department is to cater for the
needs of clients owning classic examples of the marque, by providing a
certification programme, repair and restoration facilities, together with a
programme for re-manufacturing obsolete parts. The facility is available to any
owner with a Ferrari road car over 20 years of age and to competition models of
all ages, apart from those looked after by the F1 Clienti department. The
department comprises of a 960 square metre workshop plus a 100 square
metre office and archive area sited alongside it, forming a completely self
contained unit within the factory premises.
The person initially charged by the management with setting up the division was
Roberto Vaglietti, who started working for Ferrari at the beginning of March 1971
as a test driver, moving to the Servizio Assistenza Tecnica department in 1978, to
which he was promoted head of the division in 1992, a position he maintained
until the end of 2005, when he took over the Ferrari Classiche department on a
full time basis. With his official retirement in January 2008, there was a
management restructure, with overall responsibility coming under the Corse
Clienti umbrella managed by Antonella Coletta, with Marco Arrighi taking the role
of Ferrari Classiche co-ordinator, whilst Roberto Vaglietti maintains a position as
a consultant to the department.
The clinically clean and airy workshop is the responsibility of Andrea Rastrelli
with an assistant, who have twelve technicians working under them, with the
facility to draw on further qualified personnel with a depth of experience in classic
Ferrari models, to assist at times of high workload or specific processes. It also
has full access to all the normal factory facilities like the foundry, machine shops
and upholstery department, plus all the official suppliers. The care taken of
client’s cars is immediately evident whilst walking around the facility, as those
not currently being worked upon are kept under dust covers, and those being
worked on are carefully protected against accidental damage.
On the office front the co-ordinator of certification activities is Francesco Scaletti
with Chris Vlahos, Marco Jasonni and consultant Angelo Amadesi, together with
administration staff. Like their workshop counterparts they have full factory
back-up, but in this instance it is in the form of extensive archive material, held in
an adjacent room. The amount and detail of material dating back to the very first
car produced, the 125 S in 1947, is truly amazing, particularly when one
considers that at the time it was a fledgling company. As examples of the details
in the archives, there are complete parts lists with descriptions and part numbers
down to the last nut and bolt, together with copies of the original drawings for
individual components. That a company starting out in car manufacturing would
log such minute details is incredible, and a reflection on the precision of the
founder, Enzo Ferrari, and those he employed, although it was probably also a
legacy of the Auto Avio Costruzioni machine tool manufacturing days which
preceded car production. Whatever the initial reason, they have survived for over
sixty years, providing an invaluable foundation for the re-manufacturing of parts,
and determining whether a component fitted to a car is correct. In addition to this,
the archive contains individual build sheets, detailed race records and season
results, dynamometer sheets for engines and the original punches used for
chassis, engine and transmission stamping, which varied in style over the years.
The parts re-manufacturing programme mentioned earlier is now well
established. A complete 275 GTB engine has been manufactured for an
American client, and some of the parts that have been re-manufactured, either by
Ferrari SpA or original official suppliers, include both 2 and 4 cam 275 series
cylinder heads and blocks, 250 GT engine blocks, heads, cylinder liners,
crankshafts, camshafts and studs, crown wheel and pinions for the 365 GTB/4
and 250 LM, 400 SA cylinder blocks as used in the 400 SA series as well as the
330 LM berlinetta, a 250 Testa Rossa engine block, together with 512 BB/LM
camshafts and pistons, and a batch of 512 M engine blocks. The new engine
blocks are stamped with the engine type number, i.e. “FERRARI 213” for a 275
GTB, on the raised plinth where the chassis number is normally stamped on the
block, with the Ferrari Classiche logo adjacent to or above it, together with a
“numero interno” (internal number) in the rough casting as on period blocks.
Discussions are taking place with a number of original parts suppliers to try and
establish re-manufacturing programmes of obsolete items to the original
specification, and obviously any parts supplied would be recognised as original
under the certification programme.
During our visit there was a wide selection of classic Ferraris in the workshop,
some there for certification, some were having remedial works carried out and
others in the process of a full restoration. They included a 212 Inter Coupé, a 250
Europa GT, a 250 GT Boano Coupé, a trio of 250 GT “passo corto” berlinettas
and a pair of 750 Monzas, plus a 250 Testa Rossa. This was chassis # 0752 TR,
belonging to Sir Anthony Bamford, for which they have just manufactured a
complete new engine, which was in the factory engine test department on the
dynamometer, prior to installation. To date the department has received more
than 800 applications for certification, of which some 600 have been processed,
whilst they have carried out, or are in the process of completing twenty five full
restorations, together with numerous partial restorations or remedial works, to
ensure that cars are in conformity with the original specification.
Anybody interested in obtaining certification for their Ferrari should make the
initial approach through their local dealer or concessionaire, although Ferrari
Classiche are happy to deal with individual clients on a personal basis where
possible and practical.
Keith Bluemel
02/2008
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