Some drivers treat their cars as if they were made of porcelain, but the new owner of a unique Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano has a better excuse than most to handle his vehicle with care.
The first reason is that he paid an eye-watering $2 million for the car at a charity auction but the second is far more bizarre; it is decorated with Song Dynasty Ge Kiln “cracked” glaze pattern.
This limited edition car represents the few hundred pieces of Ge Kiln porcelain still in existence today and which are regarded as priceless treasures. The cracked glaze pattern has the same type of lustre as jade and, in Chinese culture, is often used to evoke the qualities of a true gentleman.
Artist Lu Hao was asked to recreate the effect of Ge Kiln for Ferrari’s China Limited Edition Model. As well as its opulent exterior, this beautiful vehicle also has a few internal modifications. For instance, the traditional Ferrari ‘Start’ button on the steering wheel is jade encrusted and the numbers on the rev counter have been written in ancient Chinese Xiao-Zhuan script.
The money raised by the auction of the Ferrari will allow students at Tsinghua University’s Department of Automotive Engineering to study at Italy’s Politecnico di Milano University, a course that will include a prized internship at Ferrari’s factory. This fund will also pay for teaching students at Tsinghua University to participate in educational research at Politecnico di Milano.
CEO of Ferrari Asia Pacific, Marco Mattiacci, is enthusiastic about this cultural exchange. “Ferrari is really excited about this initiative which fulfils two important goals for us: firstly, helping young students to enrich their education and investing in their future and secondly celebrating five years of Ferrari in China with a work of art representing innovation and tradition, two values that Ferrari shares with China.”
As you also know, Ferrari and Fernando Alonso are teaming up this year so you might want to check some properties with views to the Valencia European Grand Prix Circuit, to be held the 27th of June 2010:
An apartment with direct views over most of the Valencia Formula 1 circuit!
Apartment with views over the Grand Prix circuit
BIG
