Ferrari in China
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For the first time in the history of Ferrari, the world premiere of a car from Ferrari will be held in China, at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, an extraordinary event, celebrating the great relation between China and Ferrari. While Formula 1 and China meet once per year for the Shanghai GP, the relation between the Asian country and Ferrari is solid and has been continuing for many years: the first Ferrari was sold in China in the year 1993, while Ferrari has been officially present in China since 2004 with a joint venture and a network of 10 dealerships in China’s most important cities: Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dalian, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing and Nanjing.
Last year more than 200 cars from Maranello were sold in China. In just a few years China has become the second most important country in terms of sales in the Asia-Pacific region. China now has more than 500 Ferrari clients, while last year the first Chinese Ferrari Owners Club was inaugurated.
The Chinese passion for the Prancing Horse has been steadily strengthened: in the year 2004 Ferrari was called to inaugurate the new Formula 1 circuit in Shanghai. Shortly afterwards Rubens Barrichello won the first Formula 1 GP in China with Ferrari. In the year 2005 China hosted the Ferrari 15,000 Red Miles Tour, where two 612 Scaglietti crossed the whole country arriving in Shanghai, where the Oriental Pearl Tower, the spectacular 468-metre-high building and the city’s architectonic symbol, was illuminated in red, celebrating the tour’s arrival.
More recently, in the year 2009, the Chinese artist Lu Hao created a unique 599 GTB, painting the chassis with a special technique, reproducing the ancient Song dynasty’s Ge Kiln porcelain. A unique masterpiece, sold at an auction in Beijing, raising funds for students and young researcher at Tsinghua University’s Automotive Engineering department, giving them the opportunity to study at Milan’s polytechnic institute and taking part in an apprenticeship at Ferrari.