Certifying a Masterpiece

The truth is, would you purchase a painting by a famous artist without verifying its authenticity beforehand? Of course not. The situation is very similar for cars, indeed it becomes increasingly important year after year. Vintage cars often fall into the category of “passion investments” and the classic car market has continuously grown in value over time.

The numerous critics who deemed the constantly rising prices of cars the result of a speculative bubble have been forced to re-evaluate the situation since the demand for models that are ever more rare, non-replicable and unavailable has shown no sign of slowing down. From this point of view, being able to certify the authenticity of your car or verify that of a car you are considering purchasing becomes fundamental.

Upon customer request, Ferrari can provide the Ferrari Classiche Certificate of Authenticity, which is the only official document available to certify that a car fully corresponds to the original specifications it had at the time it left the Company. This certificate is not issued automatically, rather it requires an in-depth inspection by a group of Ferrari Classiche experts who examine the chassis, engine, gearbox and transmission, suspension, brakes, wheels and bodywork, plus the interior. 

To complete the inspection, the experts turn to the Company's original archives where assembly diagrams are carefully preserved for every single car manufactured since 1947. The extensive experience of the Prancing Horse staff and the meticulous checks carried out by the team of specialists enable the Company to guarantee the car's full compliance to the original project.

If there are one or two parts that are not original, the customer can decide to replace them with other genuine parts. Should these no longer be available, the parts can be rebuilt according to the project developed at that time, which is also housed in the archive. Customers who request these interventions, take advantage of an exclusive restoration service that aims to preserve the heritage and originality of the car, whilst increasing its value.

This concept is applicable to all of the models, from the oldest to the more recent, and in particular to the Special Series, which are considered ‘Instant Classics’. One of the cars that recently joined the ranks of those that are certifiable is the Challenge Stradale. Introduced in 2003, it derived from the 360 Modena but was developed with the goal of increasing performance by significantly reducing its weight, which was accomplished through technologies and components borrowed from the world of racing. 

This close bond was evident not only in the decidedly lower car weight, but also in the substantial changes made to outfit the car with an F1-type engine, aerodynamics, suspension, braking system and gearbox. When certifying this type of car, the experts from Maranello perform a meticulous check on the conformity of these special components in order to protect the customer and guarantee driving safety.

More than a standard production car, a limited edition car value relies even more on the originality of the parts produced through advanced technologies and processes that tap into the technical and engineering know-how of the Company. The Certificate of Authenticity can be requested directly from Ferrari or from one of the more than 70 official Officina Ferrari Classiche workshops located throughout the world.

The Certificate is reserved for all the Ferrari road models manufactured at least 20 years ago and for the Ferrari F1, Sport and Sport Prototype models regardless of their production year. The process that leads to issuing the Certificate varies in duration and is closely linked to the model type and the condition of the car.