H.R. OWEN FERRARI OPENS NEW SHOWROOM IN BERKELEY SQUARE
This week H.R. Owen, the official Ferrari dealer for London, announced the opening of a new flagship showroom in Mayfair’s prestigious Berkeley Square! To celebrate the opening of H.R. Owen Ferrari Mayfair this week, the company has been granted an exclusive opportunity to showcase three of the most iconic Ferrari cars ever made in a special display on the lawns of Berkeley Square Gardens. The Ferrari icons are on display for the public to see in Berkeley Square Gardens, Mayfair, from until Thursday 11 July are as follows:
Ferrari 750 Monza from 1954
The prototype made its debut at Monza in 1954 with an engine based on a development of the four-cylinder Type 555 and took both first and second positions. The power unit with its twin overhead camshaft and very respectable horse-power, developed a very high torque that made for particularly impressive driving. Almost all of the coachworks were built by Scaglietti to a Dino Ferrari design. The most notable of the 750 Monza’s other victories was the 1954 Tourist Trophy.
Ferrari 250 California Spider from 1961
Thanks to Ferrari’s reputation in motor sports, and the work of importer Luigi Chinetti, the United States became an important market. John Von Neumann, the west coast representative, thought that there was potential for an open Spider suited to the Californian sun, a sort of open 250 GT Berlinetta. Chinetti welcomed the proposal and convinced Enzo Ferrari that it was a good idea. Scaglietti was therefore given the opportunity to create this now almost legendary car, building 106 of them, nine with aluminium bodies. There were two distinct series: the ‘LWB’ (long wheelbase) between 1958 and 1960, and the ‘SWB’ (short wheelbase) from 1960 to 1962.
Ferrari 250 GTO from 1962
The 250 GTO model was the pinnacle of development of the 250 GT series in competition form, whilst still remaining a road car. It made its public debut at the annual pre-season Ferrari press conference in January 1962, and was the only front engine model on display, with its monoposto and sports racing counterparts all having a mid-engine configuration. Charisma came not only from its innumerable racing victories, but from the unique sum of its parts – stunning looks, a highly competitive chassis and a thoroughbred V12 engine.
Ferrari Monza SP1
These three iconic cars from Ferrari’s illustrious past are also joined by the latest design masterpiece from the Ferrari, the Monza SP1. The Ferrari Monza SP1 has been inspired by barchettas of the 1950s which were driven to victory in international motor sport not just by official works team drivers from the Scuderia, but also by a legion of gentlemen drivers who, in those years, frequently found themselves wheel to wheel with legendary professional drivers of the era.
The first ever Ferrari to be referred to as a barchetta was the open-top version of the 1948 166 MM. The name was coined by Giovanni Agnelli who, upon seeing the car for the first time at the Turin Motor Show that year, commented that it was less like a car and more like a barchetta, referring to the Italian for a small speed boat. The Touring-bodied 166 MM barchetta wrote Ferrari’s name firmly in the history books, winning first the Mille Miglia and then the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1949. This model was followed by other extraordinarily successful Ferrari Sports cars, such as the 750 Monza and 860 Monza which were inspiration for the name of the new models.
Barchettas were similar to spiders in form (two seaters), but had no roof or weather equipment. Instead of a full windscreen, they were equipped with just a small screen (single or wrap-around) and a removable tonneau cover over the passenger side. The Monza SP1 and SP2 are similar in concept, although the main difference is that they can be ordered either as a single-seater (SP1) or as a two-seater (SP2).
These cars are on display in Berkeley Square Gardens, Mayfair, until Thursday 11 July, and the public are invited to see them at their leisure, in the gardens opposite the new H.R. Owen Ferrari Mayfair showroom.
