All of the above information regarding visiting (or not visiting) the Ferarri factory is correct.

We have Alfa Romeos and DH is active in the Italian car community. About 7 years ago we took a tour called (and I HATE this name), The Car Guy Tour. We went to the Maserati, Lamborghini, De Tomaso, and Alfa Romeo factories, plus numerous design houses, Bertone, Pininfarina, Italdesign, Zagato and IDEA. Plus numerous car museums and private collections.

Less than a week before our departure, the tour organizer/leader, informed all of us that we would have to have a letter from 'our' Ferrari dealer verifying that we owned a Ferrari and the model.

We frantically tried to get a letter, even calling their headquarters in New Jersey, to no avail. A friend offered to let us say that 50% of his rare Ferrari belonged to us. We still couldn't get the necessary letter, as the local dealer and New Jersey didn't believe that for a minute.

We were really mad at the leader that he gave us such short notice, when that was a major part of the tour.

We were going to stay in town the day the group went to the factory. Somehow, most of the other tour participants, whom we had never met until the tour started, had the coveted letter, although most of them didn't own Ferraris. Apparently because of their own expensive Italian cars and their connections, they were able to find the right people to help them.

Our leader (ha ha ha) insisted that we go along anyway. The lobby was very crowded with people, letters in hand, trying, waiting, for various Ferrari tour leaders to add their names to the lists.

_Somehow_ the very nice Ferrari tour leader, got the impression that we too had the letter , and without checking, asked for our names and onto the list we went.

I didn't lie to her, when she asked who was there for the tour and I said that we were. She assumed the rest, lucky for us.

So, my point is, you may luck out as we did and get in, but I wouldn't travel that distance on the slim chance that you might get in. You certainly don't want to travel that far, only to spend the day in the gift shop.

If you do go, have lunch at Cavallino which is across the street. It is full of managers etc... from the factory, and the food was pretty good.

The factory tour was fabulous and one of our group actually ordered the newest Ferrari, the 1998 (?) Modena 360.

Had we not been with our group for their prearranged tour, I would be willing to bet that we would never have gotten past the front door.

Derekflint/Tifosi ....eat your heart out ...the next night we ran into Schumi in another restaurant and he had a brief exchange in German with DH and gave ME a big thumbs up, as I hoisted my wine glass to him.

Someday I'll tell you, read that as brag, about the beautiful tan piece of leather with a prancing horse embossed into it ---- just a little personalized gift from one of the factory workers (!).

I didn't dare tell the rest of our group about it until we left the factory ... as it was, my life was in danger from the minute I showed it to them!!

Vrooooom,

Nina

What a fun story, Nina. Loved it all.

I will recommend a charming agriturismo place outside the beautiful city of San Gimiagno....Pondere Montese. Everyone I know who has visited it has been delighted. The owners are great, the location is perfect. If you've got time to rent Tea with Mussolini, you'll get a sense of what makes San Gimiagno so special. I've posted my other suggestions for travel in Italy at www.eurfirst.com

Author: sph
Date: 09/17/2006, 04:13 pm
Nina66: If I show this to my husband he will put the Modena stop back on the itinerary and probably get us arrested for trying to "sneak in." He tends to be able to get lucky - ended up in the paddock club at an F1 race w/out an invitation - long story. Thanks for the message - great story.

sph,
Send me an e-mail and I will send you some day trips suggestions for southern Tuscany.

Henry