With the special exhibition "Ferrari - Masterpieces for the racetrack and road", the national car museum The Loh Collection is seamlessly following on from the successful inaugural exhibition "100 Years of Le Mans". The special Ferrari exhibition opens on March 23, 2024 and presents a unique collection of top-class Ferrari vehicles. The exhibits from the National Automobile Museum form a representative cross-section of eight decades of Ferrari history: from the early Mille-Miglia-Barchetta and the Ferrari 212, which dominated the Carrera Panamericana in 1951, to successful sports car prototypes and Michael Schumacher's Formula 1 car. Design gems from the 1950s and 1960s are among the exhibits on show, as is the hypercar quintet of 288 GTO, F40, F50, Enzo and La Ferrari, now known as the "Ferrari Big Five". "Every vehicle is an important piece of automotive and company history," says museum founder Prof. Dr. Ing. h.c. Friedhelm Loh.
Detailed insights into almost 80 years of brand history
"For a car museum that wants to show the entire spectrum of automotive history, there's no way around Ferrari," explains Friedhelm Loh. "And if you are also interested in motor racing up to Formula 1, you are automatically at Ferrari historically." The Formula 1 cars in the Loh Collection tell stories from the most important chapters in Ferrari's history in the premier class of motorsport: From the cars of a Lorenzo Bandini, Jacky Ickx and Niki Lauda to the monoposti of the outstanding Michael Schumacher era and the last world champion car from Maranello to date, the F1-2007 of Kimi Räikkönen. The museum displays both the Schumacher car in which the Kerpen native won his first world championship title in red in 2000 and the F2004, with which "Schumi" and Ferrari won their fifth drivers' title in a row. With no fewer than eight victories this season, the vehicle on display in the exhibition is the most successful Ferrari racing car of all time.
"When composing the exhibition, we were looking for a diverse mix and the fascinating stories behind the individual exhibits," says Prof. Loh. "Because it is their stories that bring the vehicles to life. The exciting constellations of people and technology bring this dazzling opus of automotive history to life - and make it unique."
One-off pieces for prominent customers from the high and industrial aristocracy
This also includes, for example, the stories of well-known personalities and crowned heads. For example, the unique pieces with Pininfarina bodies on display in the exhibition were created especially for members of royalty and the industrial aristocracy. The Ferrari 250 GT Speciale from 1957 was commissioned by Princess Réthy, wife of the Belgian King Leopold III. The 250 MM produced three years earlier - actually a thoroughbred racing car - was built especially for the wife of Hans-Heinrich Àgost Gábor Tasso Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza de Kászon, or "Heini Thyssen" for short, painted in a noble color in Turin, fashionably outfitted at Hermès in Paris and also given a roof rack for winter sports. In the course of its subsequent history, the mannequin Nina Dyer's favorite car ended up in the hands of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan. And with the black 250 GT SWB Competizione of Wolfgang Seidel - at the time a team colleague of Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips on several occasions - Gunther Philipp, a popular actor and amateur racing driver for decades, was able to win races and titles.
The exhibition, which is rich in highlights, also spans the development of Ferrari racing cars from their beginnings to the present day. On display are masterpieces with which Ferrari achieved great success in major races such as the Mille Miglia, 1,000 km Nürburgring, Daytona and Le Mans. This begins in the 1950s and extends to the most recent victory in the endurance classic. The technical progress achieved with the help of motor racing can be perfectly illustrated by the numerous models from the 1960s - from the 246 SP, 275-330 P and Dino 206 S to the iconic 412 P. They are all presented in exceptional condition, which in some cases makes them reference vehicles even for the company's own Ferrari Classiche department.
As fascinating as the brand: company founder Enzo Ferrari
"In addition, the person Enzo Ferrari is at least as fascinating as the brand, its vehicles and the people behind the brand," says Friedhelm Loh, describing a further motivation for this internationally significant exhibition. "Enzo Ferrari constantly drove his company forward through ongoing development; he recognized opportunities and knew how to deal with risks. His actions became the DNA of Ferrari, which has been one of the world's leading brands for decades."
In addition to a detailed presentation of the exhibition vehicles, a book published in parallel to the special show traces the background to Enzo Ferrari as a person and provides a profound overview of the company and its models. The book is published in cooperation with the renowned Motorbuch-Verlag, written by the experienced motor journalist and author Jörg Walz. In addition, the store of the National Automobile Museum offers model vehicles and automobilia specially produced for the Ferrari exhibition.
Over 40,000 visitors since opening prove fascination for the "automobile as a cultural asset"
The number of visitors to Dietzhölztal-Ewersbach in Hesse demonstrates the enduring fascination of the automobile for young and old alike: since opening in July 2023, the National Automobile Museum has already welcomed over 40,000 guests. The museum's international standing is also demonstrated by the award of the FIA Founding Members' Club Heritage Cup in December 2023, which is considered the highest international award a museum can receive in the classic car scene.
The museum has now also taken up its role as a science location: Prof. Dr. Jochen Buck, Professor of Forensic Expert Witnessing at the Nürtingen-Geislingen University of Applied Sciences (HfWU), welcomed the first students to Dietzhölztal-Ewersbach during the winter break. In the CEHC certificate course to become a Certified Expert for Historic Cars, students are trained as experts for classic vehicles as part of their postgraduate studies. The National Automuseum is the official campus of the university.
Thanks to its spacious grounds, The Loh Collection National Car Museum is also an ideal starting point, stopover or destination for classic car rallies, orientation drives and club meetings. The "New York New York" restaurant and diner in the freely accessible entrance area of the museum offers refreshments for participants and museum guests. Just as the exhibition vehicles in the museum come from different countries and eras, the varied cuisine reflects a wide range of cultures and identities.
Further information can be found on the museum's website.
