The Modena version of the Ferrari Museum has beaten all previous visitor numbers with a month to go.

The popularity of the Ferrari Museums continues to grow, hitting a record of more than 500,000 visitors from the start of the year to November, an increase of 12% compared to the same period last year. As such, the previous record of more than 478,000 tickets set at the end of 2016 has been beaten, well before the end of the year. 

The Museo Enzo Ferrari in Modena in particular registered an annual growth of 19% in November, equivalent to 150,000 visitors, drawn by the “Driving with the Stars” exhibition that sees the Ferraris driven by stars from the sporting, cultural, industrial and entertainments worlds on display. 

The Ferrari Museum in Maranello has also enjoyed significant success, with an 8% increase in visitors taking the total to 350,000. Over the course of the year, the museum has hosted the “Rosso Infinito” (‘Infinite Red’) exhibition - which is still underway - and “Under the Skin”, which has now been transferred to the Design Museum in London, running from 15 November to 15 April 2018. 

Sales of single tickets for both museums remain stable, representing around a fifth of the total, serving as confirmation of the superb synergy between these structures for another year. 

These results serve to confirm that the Ferrari Museums are among the most visited in Italy, attracting fans and enthusiasts from all over the world. They owe their appeal to the exciting attractions renewed every year, with major themed exhibitions, exhibits featuring iconic cars and original museum tours that take visitors on a journey through the history of the Prancing Horse brand.

Heveningham Hall Concours d' Elegance to be bigger and better than previous years.

• HEVENINGHAM HALL CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE REVEALS ITS LINE-UP OF THE WORLD’S MOST ICONIC MOTOR CARS AND AIRCRAFTS EVER PRODUCED

(This is one place to avoid at all costs) The Heveningham Hall Concours d’Elegance, hosted in the stunning Capability Brown-designed parkland of Suffolk’s finest Georgian mansion, will fly even higher in its second year, as it coincides with the annual Heveningham Hall Country Fair on 8th and 9th July. 

Sponsored by renowned British watch company Bremont and award-winning English wine producer Gusbourne, The Heveningham Hall Concours d’Elegance will exhibit 50 of the most iconic cars ever produced in the parkland of Suffolk’s finest Georgian mansion. 

Ranging from 1903 to 2017, the concours has revealed its line-up of the world’s most iconic motor cars and aircrafts ever produced which will be presented on the dramatic grass terraces designed by renowned landscape architect Kim Wilkie within the 5,000 acre estate.

Australian racing car driver Mark Webber’s former Mercedes-Benz CLK LM – 1998 - having raced at the world’s oldest active sports car race, Le Mans, will be on display alongside a 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster. With only 150 in the world, the Heveningham Hall Concours d’Elegance will showcase the new Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta – 2017 - alongside its 2014 LaFerrari sibling. 

Also being exhibited are two of the greatest Lamborghini’s of all time, the Lamborghini Miura SV – 1971 - alongside an ultra-rare Miura SV Jota. With a total of 989 hybrid horse power, the McLaren P1 GTR – 2016 will also be previewed on Heveningham Hall’s landscaped gardens alongside a 1995 McLaren F1 GTR.

Vintage cars in attendance will include no less than four of the world’s finest pre-war Alfa Romeos plus two rare Aston Martin Ulsters and a Ferrari 250 MM, Ferrari 212 Barchetta, Bugatti 35B and many, many more.

On top of 50 of the most iconic cars that the automotive industry has ever produced, Heveningham Hall will play host to an array of vintage aircraft for the first time, in an aviation concours that also runs over the weekend. Celebrating exquisite engineering and detailing in all its forms, aircrafts will include the de Havilland DH Fox Moth ZK-AGM – 1932 and Boeing Stearman PT-17 Kaydet – 1941.

Not only that, but another innovation is the Suffolk Border Tour for owners which will take place on Friday 7th July, before the Concours opens to the public (8th & 9th July). This event will allow owners to drive their cars on a 50-mile route through the Suffolk countryside, stopping over the county border for a clay-pigeon shoot and picnic before returning to Heveningham Hall in the afternoon: ready for the Concours over the weekend.

MOTOR CARS

1. Berliet 4L - 1903	26. Ferrari 250 Cabriolet – 1960
2. Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Alpine Eagle - 1914	27. Ferrari 250 SWB Competizione – 1961
3. Gwynne Sports – 1923	28. Aston Martin DB4 GT – 1961
4. Hispano Suiza H6C – 1923	29. Porsche Carerra Abarth – 1962
5. Bentley 6.5L Short Chassis Tourer - 1926	30. Aston Martin DB5 Convertible – 1964
6. Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Zagato – 1930	31. Shelby Cobra - 1964
7. Bugatti 35B – 1930	32. Ford GT40 – 1965
8. Bentley 4.5L Sports Tourer Supercharged – 1931	33. Lola T70 Mk2 Spyder – 1965
9. Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Touring Spyder - 1931	34. Lola T70 Mk3B – 1969
10. Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato Spyder – 1932	35. Porsche 917 - 1969
11. Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3 – 1934	36. Lamborghini Miura SV – 1971
12. Aston Martin Ulster LM17 – 1934	37. Lamborghini Miura SV Jota – 1972
13. Aston Martin Ulster LM18 – 1935	38. Ferrari 288 GTO – 1983
14. Frazer Nash Single Seater – 1935	39. Lancia Delta S4 Corse – 1985
15. Frazer Nash TT Replica - 1935	40. Porsche 959 – 1988
16. Bugatti 57C Ventoux - 1937	41. Bugatti EB110 GT – 1991
17. Ferrari 212 Barchetta – 1951	42. Bugatti EB110 SS - 1994
18. Bentley R-Type Continental Sports Saloon – 1952	43. McLaren F1 GTR – 1995
19. Ferrari 250 MM - 1953	44. Mercedes-Benz CLK LM – 1998
20. HWM Jaguar Sports – 1953	45. Audi R8 Le Mans – 2000
21. Jaguar D-Type - 1954	46. Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster - 2002
22. Aston Martin DB2/4 - 1955	47. Jaguar C-X75 - 2010
23. Cooper Jaguar T38 Barchetta – 1955	48. Ferrari LaFerrari – 2014
24. Jaguar XK150 OTS - 1958	49. McLaren P1 GTR – 2016
25. AC Aceca Bristol – 1958	50. Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta – 2017

AIRCRAFTS

1. de Havilland DH Fox Moth ZK-AGM – 1932

2. de Havilland DH 82a Tiger Moth G-ACDA - 1933

3. de Havilland Leopard Moth G-ACMA - 1934

4. de Havilland DH 85 Leopard Moth G-ACUS - 1934

5. de Havilland Hornet Moth DH87B G-AELO (ex AW118) – 1936

6. Tipsey Belfair G-APIE – 1938

7. Ryan Aeronautical ST-A NC14986 - 1936

8. Porterfield CP-50 Collegiate G-AFZL – 1939

9. de Havilland Tiger Moth G-ANEM - 1940

10. Boing Stearman PT-17 Kaydet – 1941

11. Sopwith Snipe F2367 - 1918

As usual, there will be three categories of motorsport winners: pre-war, post-war and best supercar, plus a new aviation award – the Hanna Aviation Trophy - winners will all receive a specially-commissioned bronze trophy from renowned Suffolk sculptor Laurence Edwards.

The traditional background to the Concours, now in its second year, is the Heveningham Hall Country Fair, which recently celebrated its 20th birthday. 

As a result, this is truly a family day out for everybody, incorporating dancing horses, livestock, flypasts, aerobatic displays, powerboating and off-roading plus, much, much more. All profits raised go to charity and more than £600,000 has been raised over the years.

Max Hunt, chairman of the judging panel (and successful Dakar bike rider) said: “What’s amazing about the weekend is that it’s so different to any other sort of Concours: there really is something for everybody, including planes now as well. 

You might even find a few bikes in there too! Our plan was to keep the best bits of last year while adding some exciting new elements for year two. The line-up of cars we have is simply awesome: I can’t wait to see them all together. And a massive thanks to Bremont: we’ve found the perfect partner.”

A key charitable partnership with the Royal College of Art has also been announced. 

The Heveningham Hall Concours RCA Automotive Design Scholarship will see a British student awarded a scholarship to cover fees and living expenses to cover the 15-month MA Automotive Design course in London under the auspices of Professor J Mays, who will also judge the Concours in July. 

The scholarship will be announced at the RCA’s Automotive Design Degree Show on 27th June at the RCA.

Media accreditation and downloads are also available through the all-new website via a dedicated media area: www.heveninghamconcours.com

Thirty years ago one of the most storming cars ever made was launched, we have the F40 from Ferrari.

Thirty years have passed since the official presentation of the F40, which took place on 21 July 1987 at the Civic Centre in Maranello, now home to the Ferrari Museum. Created to celebrate the company's 40th anniversary, it was the last car to carry the founder's "signature". 

It was a definitive car, the ultimate expression of the technology thus far developed by the Prancing Horse, but at the same time it went back to Ferrari’s roots when racing cars were also road vehicles. An extreme derivation of the 308 GTB and of the 288 GTO Evoluzione prototype, the Ferrari F40 is a masterpiece of engineering and style, which entered the collective imagination as a symbol of an era.

On the anniversary of the launch of this motoring legend, Ferrari has gathered together the memories of three of its creators: Ermanno Bonfiglioli, then Head of Special Projects, Leonardo Fioravanti, a designer for Pininfarina, and test driver Dario Benuzzi.

Ermanno Bonfiglioli, who as Head of Special Projects was responsible for supercharged engines, has not forgotten the excitement of that 21 July: "I have never experienced a presentation like that of the F40. When the car was unveiled, a buzz passed through the room followed by thunderous applause. No one, except for close associates of Enzo Ferrari, had yet seen it. Indeed, the company had cloaked the development and testing of that car in unusual secrecy. 

And the surprise at such a stylistic leap was almost shock. The timeframe was also unusual, within the very short arc of 13 months, the chassis and bodywork moving ahead quickly and at the same pace as the powertrain. It was June 1986 when we began designing the engine of the project F 120 A. The 8-cylinder 478 hp twin-turbo was a derivative of the 288 GTO Evoluzione’s, but a number of innovative contents enabled the F40 to become the first production Ferrari to exceed 320 km/h. 

We paid maximum attention to the weight of the engine, thanks also to the extensive use of magnesium, such as oil sump, cylinder-head covers, intake manifolds, and gearbox bell-housing were in this material that cost five times as much as aluminium alloy and that was never used in such quantities in subsequent production cars. This is just a small example of this car's "difference".

Leonardo Fioravanti was a designer at Pininfarina when he was invited by Enzo Ferrari to Fiorano to try the 288 GTO Evoluzione: “when il Commendatore asked for my opinion on this experimental prototype, which due to regulatory issues never went into production, I didn't hide my enthusiasm as an amateur driver for the incredible acceleration of its 650 hp. It was then that he first talked to me of his desire to produce a "true Ferrari". 

We knew, as he knew, that it would be his last car. We threw ourselves headlong into the work. Extensive research at the wind tunnel went into aerodynamic optimisation, to achieve coefficients appropriate for the most powerful Ferrari road car ever. Its style matches its performance: the low bonnet with a very tiny overhang, the NACA air vents and the rear spoiler, which my colleague Aldo Brovarone placed at right angles, made it famous. 

If I had to point out one overriding reason for the success of the F40, I would say that its line succeeded in instantly transmitting the exceptionality of its technical content: speed, lightness, and performance."

Dario Benuzzi, a Ferrari’s long-term test driver, participated in an arduous and meticulous testing job: "The handling of the first prototypes was poor. 

To tame the power of the engine and make it compatible with a road model, we needed to subject every aspect of the car to countless tests: from the turbochargers to the braking system, from the shock absorbers to the tyres. The result was an excellent aerodynamic load and high stability even at high speed. 

Another important aspect was the tubular steel frame with Kevlar reinforcement panels, which provides three times more torsional rigidity than that of other cars of the period, and a bodywork made mainly of composite materials that reduced weight to just 1100 kg. 

We obtained precisely the car we wanted, with few comforts and no compromises. With no power steering, power brakes or electronic devices, it demands the skill and commitment of the driver but generously repays it with a unique driving experience. Steering precision, road holding, braking power and intensity of acceleration reached unmatched levels for a road car.

The F40 is on show at the Ferrari Museum of Maranello as part of the "Under the Skin" exhibition devoted to the evolution of innovation and style in the 70-year history of the Company.

Ferrari takes home a haul of awards at this years Engine Of The YEar ceremony including the overall prize, again.

• The 3.9-litre twin-turbo takes two categories as well as the overall Engine of the Year Award
• The F12tdf’s 6.3-litre V12 takes its second consecutive Above 4-litre title

For the second year running, the 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 that powers the 488 GTB, 488 Spider and with a slightly smaller displacement the California T and GTC4Lusso T, has taken the outright International Engine of the Year Award along with the Performance Engine class and the 3-litre to 4-litre displacement category.

Since its introduction in 1999, the International Engine of the Year Award has become one of the industry’s most coveted honours. As well as dominating the Award’s Above 4-litre and Performance Engine categories in the past six years, Ferrari has now taken a record number of wins for any high-performance sports car manufacturer.

This year also saw Ferrari’s naturally-aspirated 6.3-litre V12 engine, that powers the F12berlinetta and F12tdf, receive the Above 4-litre award for the second year consecutively, and for the third time after the distinction awarded in 2013. This result for the V12 is even more significant this year, as it is this power unit that hailed the start of the glorious Prancing Horse story 70 years ago in 1947.

A concentration of uncompromising engineering solutions, Ferrari’s return to twin-turbo technology for the V8 range has set a new benchmark for turbo-charged engines. Zero turbo lag and a progressive delivery of power and torque throughout the rev range maintain unprecedented levels of driver involvement.

According to Tony Robinson, founder of the International Engine of the Year Awards, “This is only the second time in the history of the IEOTYA that such a powerful performance engine has taken the overall honours two years consecutively  and won the most coveted, outright IEOTYA title. The Ferrari V8 is all about amazing power delivery, precision, driveability and a wonderful soundtrack, too.  One day soon it'll be a classic in its own right; indeed I think it is already!”

One of the rarest Ferrari's and one owned by Ross Brawn has been put up for sale by Hexagon.

• Leading London classic car retailer Hexagon Classics is proud to offer for sale one of the rarest Ferrari Dinos
• Super exclusive 1974 246 GTS has the factory-fitted option of 7½-inch Campagnolo wheels, complete with a wider track and flared wheelarches
• Known as the ‘Flares’ variant, it is one of the most collectable and prized of all Dinos and car for sale is one of only 12 built worldwide
• Previously owned by former Mercedes team principal and F1’s new Managing Director, Ross Brawn
• Finished in Bianco Polo Park white paint with black hide, this right-hand-drive car is also the penultimate Dino to be exported to the UK

Leading London classic car retailer Hexagon is delighted to welcome one of the rarest and most desirable Ferrari 246 GTS Dino models in existence – the famous ‘Flares’ variant.

Previously owned by former Mercedes team principal and F1’s new Managing Director, Ross Brawn, this very special 1974 open-top Dino features the famous ‘Flares’ package of factory-fitted 7½-inch sand-cast Campagnolo wheels with a wider track and flared wheelarches.

A very rare Dino indeed with just 12 examples built worldwide, the right-hand-drive car at Hexagon Classics is also the penultimate model to be exported to the UK, further adding to its desirability. 

Freshly re-painted in period Bianco Polo Park white and with just 24,000 miles it is in almost as-new condition and represents a fantastic opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts.

It also features re-trimmed black leather seats to Daytona specification (so named after the V12 coupe, which was also on sale at the time). When combined with the wheelarches and Campagnolo wheels in period, the factory-fitted package was known as ‘Chairs and Flares’.   

As with all Dinos, power comes from a mid-mounted 195hp 2.4-litre V6 giving a top speed of 146mph. The car comes complete with the manufacturer’s order and associated invoices to Maranello Concessionaires, the original Concessionaires sales order and correspondence, operating handbook and parts book, handbook wallet and historical chassis file including marque specialist invoices. It also carries Ferrari Classiche certification.

Hexagon Classics Chairman Paul Michaels said: “This is one very special Dino indeed. Not only does it have a famous previous owner in the shape of Ross Brawn, but it is also one of the rarest in the world. The factory-fitted ‘Flares’ package is rightly highly desirable – those stunning Campagnolo wheels, wider track and, of course, flared arches, are subtle yet stunning additions to an already striking car.

“Factor in the retro-fitted Daytona seats, right-hand drive and its status as the penultimate Dino to be brought to the UK and you have a very collectable classic Ferrari. This is without doubt a wonderful opportunity to purchase one of the finest Dinos currently on sale anywhere.”

The Ferrari 246 GTS Dino is available to view now at Hexagon Classics’ flagship showroom in north London.