Ferrari: Under the Skin

The Design Museum in London announces Ferrari: Under the Skin, a major exhibition revealing the fascinating history of the brand. The show, created in collaboration with Ferrari, celebrates 70 years of precision design, from the launch of the first Ferrari car in 1947 to the latest car production. The exhibition will open on 15 November 2017 and run to 15 April 2018.

A forerunner to the exhibition is currently on show at the Museo Ferrari in Maranello.

The exhibition will provide unique insights into the world of Ferrari, drawing on rarely seen material. This ambitious display will bring together early design models, drawings, letters and memorabilia as well as some of the most famous Ferraris to be seen on roads and racing circuits around the world. Together, these artefacts and original documents provide an unprecedented study of automotive design.

Key exhibits include rare personal memorabilia and archival material relating to Enzo Ferrari’s life, early cars, wind tunnel models and hand-sculpted models in both clay and wood.

Dedicated displays will explore the design development, engineering and manufacturing of Ferrari together with the company’s phenomenal attention to detail in every element of the cars’ design. The exhibition will also present Ferrari’s racing heritage, the ongoing quest for innovation as well as the glamour of their well-known clientele.

The exhibition pays tribute to Enzo Ferrari and his passion for racing which ultimately gave rise to the brand. The son of a manufacturer in Modena, he became a racing driver in 1919 and competed for Alfa Romeo. In 1947, Enzo Ferrari launched his own car – a new, complex 12-cylinder engine designed entirely with performance in mind – a bold move in post-war Italy. His cars soon started to win races and attract a clientele of wealthy and famous patrons, which in turn built the reputation for the brand.

Andrew Nahum, curator of Ferrari: Under the Skin commented:
‘Ferrari’s story has been one of the great adventures of the industrial age. It also represents an absorbing case study in design and development. Ferrari uses the subtle and often unseen techniques of automobile design but with the utmost care and precision and the exhibition provides an insight into the history and practice of the whole private world of automotive design.’

Ferrari: Under the Skin is a behind-the-scenes look at the design, the people and the engineering that created one of the most iconic car brands of all time.