How to own a special edition Ferrari

“The client has to come to Maranello to sit with our team quite frequently. It is a big investment in terms of time. They become like an employee of the company. They sit together with the designer and with the technical team. We receive input from the client if they have any ideas – so, for example, if they want to have a car inspired by an historical Ferrari, or by a racing car.

“We decide what kind of chassis they want to choose – 458, eight-cylinder, 12-cylinder, whatever – and then we come up with some design thoughts and show them some direction. From there is a series of meetings that take place, during which our design team is working with the client to take the direction they want to take.”

Don’t ask for pink…

Core mechanical components such as the engine and chassis remain standard, but everything around them can be changed. The 458 MM Speciale, for example, featured radically altered aerodynamics.

However, there are some things Ferrari won’t do, no matter how big a cheque is being offered. Galliera says: “It has to be consistent with our brand. So if someone asks us for a pink Ferrari, the answer is no. If they ask to have a hardcore racing GTC4 Lusso, the answer is no. If there is a specific request that we think is not fitting with the positioning of the car, it is not a matter of money; the answer is no. “This is first and foremost a Ferrari, which means that the performance cannot be compromised by the design.”

Be very patient

The One-Off programme will produce a maximum of three cars per year. Galliera says: “We have a big problem, which is that we are sold out until 2021. It has to remain something extremely limited. So even though we have a long list of clients, we are trying to cap it. And that’s the problem that we have so far: that we still have a lot of requests that we cannot satisfy. Raid your piggy bank

Galliera says: “The price depends on which chassis you are using and what kind of project you want, but the price can be around three million euros.”

Be prepared to drive it

Ferrari wants even the rarest of its cars to be used and enjoyed on the road. “Of course, we believe that our cars can live in a nice museum or a private collection, but we prefer every single car to be on the road,” says Galliera. “So whether we talk about the standard road cars or the One-Off projects, we tend to push our clients to bring their cars to life. It is really important.”

However, owners aren’t obliged to show off their cars at events like the Festival of Speed if they prefer greater privacy instead. “The visibility of the car very much depends on the client,” says Galliera. “We respect their wish. The only thing we ask is that they drive and enjoy the car.”