Ferrari Cavalcade Classic Drives Through Tuscany
Ferrari is celebrating this year its 70th anniversary. Among the events organized around the world, those planned in Italy obviously have a special flavor. The Cavalcade Classic, which took place from 5 to 8 May in Tuscany, was one of the first, and others will follow, with the main one being scheduled in September in Maranello.
For this occasion, owners from about twenty nationalities responded to the invitation of Ferrari to meet in Forte dei Marmi on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, precisely at the Augustus Hotel, former villa of the Agnelli family. They could take full advantage of Italian excellence in art, history and gastronomy, and many others local specialties. The list of entries included about 70 cars, with some emblematic racing models (166 MM, 750 Monza, 860 Monza, 250 TdF), but also numerous GTs from 1949 to 1984, with some remarkable representatives of the famous line of 250, the 275, the Dino, 512BB, Daytona and many others.
The itinerary of the first day (Saturday 6) crossed the continent, with a stop at Capannori before heading to Lucca for lunch. For the return trip, they crossed Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, another extraordinary place, but unfortunately in heavy rain, most of the day. On Sunday, the events of the second day were almost entirely occupied by the sea, with a drive through Lerici and a glimpse of Viareggio before heading towards Pisa for a lunch near the famous leaning tower. Late in the afternoon, the cars were exhibited for the many public in Forte dei Marmi. In the evening, everyone found themselves on the seafront, under a delicious sunset, for a spectacular dinner.
On Monday, it was time to leave these marvelous landscapes to take the direction of Maranello, taking one of the most fascinating routes in Italy, across the Apuan Alps and the Apennines on the legendary Via Abetone which connects the Tyrrhenian Sea to Emilia. Unfortunately, again, there was a very heavy rain that accompanied the competitors in most of the return trip. Once they arrived at the Ferrari headquarters, the owners were invited to drive their Ferraris on the Fiorano track.
The final dinner was held in a unique and inaccessible setting: the production line for 8-cylinder vehicles, a truly unforgettable location. Finally, in spite of sometimes very difficult weather conditions, especially for the oldest open cars, everyone seemed happy to have traveled hundreds of kilometers to celebrate this anniversary. The owners will certainly have the opportunity to meet again this year to celebrate these 70 years of passion.
Impossible to quote them all, but if I have to choose, my favorites were: 166 MM s/n 0004 M and 0040 M, 340 MM s/n 0268 AM, 860 Monza s/n 0604 M, 250 TdF s/n 0771 GT, 410 Superamerica s/n 0717 SA, 250 Europa GT Speciale s/n 0407 GT, Dino 206 GT s/n 00146, 250 California LWB s/n 0923 GT, 365 California s/n 09935…
Buon compleanno, e forza Ferrari!
Text and images from Etienne Vanaret and Olivier Bidaud.
