10/13/13
Targa Florio: Awards Lunch, Heading North…

I had relaxing breakfast on the back patio of the Hotel Igea before setting out to do some power shopping to bring my wife and daughter something home. Without their support, I would have never been able to do this trip. I’m going to have to make it up to them with more than a couple of souvenirs!

The Awards Lunch was an old Horse Stable outside of Palermo.

Ferrari unveiled their newest model, the 458 Speciale. Like any new Ferrari model, it’s even better than the one before it. Following the tradition of lighter and faster performance versions of the 360 and 430, the Speciale is the lighter more powerful 458.

Ferrari uses some of the most sophisticated devices to make their cars faster than any of us could do with our own skills, and if you believe the press, these cars are truly the best sports cars ever made. I may prefer the older Vintage Ferraris for a number of personal reasons, but I cannot deny these cars are truly a spectacular automobile. I just can’t believe my sister got a ride in a 458 before me!

The Staff of Ferrari and Ferrari SpA really have my gratitude for putting on this Rally. With the cancellation by the Mac Group, the Targa Florio could have turned into a disaster and a National embarrassment, and I believe Luca Montezemolo, the Chairman of Ferrari knew this when he ordered his staff to figure out the logistics to take over the event without a consideration of the costs. I can only imagine the mad rush to organize this event in the week Ferrari had before entrants started arriving. Thank you Ferrari SpA and the great staff. You all made this event all the more memorable.

Bob and I regrettably left the lunch early for the airport. We would have loved to have spent more time with our newly made friends, but we had to catch a flight to Bologna. We booked a flight on Ryan Air, an Irish discount airlines that offered flights less than half what we would have paid on Alitalia. Since it was the only flight that fit our schedule, we decided to give it a shot. There were no reserved seats nor food or drinks served unless you paid for it. Someone told me they were even consider installing pay toilets on their planes! I had the feeling I was boarding a Greyhound Bus headed anywhere. We arrived in Bologna without incident and were one of the few big spenders that checked in our bags for pickup at the terminal!

Reminder: If you have a Ferrari related project, car, or idea you’d like to explore, I’d love to talk to you. I can also help if you’re thinking of buying or selling. This website represents what I love to do, and I would be happy to help guide you through the Vintage Ferrari world so if you’d like to do something together, let me know. It all begins with an e-mail!

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