A special exhibition studying the design and manufacture of the Prancing Horse is coming to the Design Museum
Offering a behind-the-scenes look at the design, manufacturing and engineering of one of the most iconic car brands on the planet, Ferrari’s 70th anniversary is to be celebrated by a new exhibition at the Design Museum.
Ferrari: Under the Skin, created in collaboration with Ferrari, celebrates 7 decades of precision design, from the launch of the first Ferrari car in 1947 to the latest car production, opening on 15 November 2017 and running to 15 April 2018.
The 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.
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.
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.”
