CAVALLINO CLASSIC

At the 30th annual Cavallino Classic, conditions were warm and slightly breezy, and could not have been better, for both the participants and attendees alike. The Concorso d’Eleganza took place on Saturday, April 24, in the gardens of The Breakers Resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Normally held in January, the event had to be postponed this year because of the pandemic. As always, the Concorso was the culmination of the “active” part of the Cavallino Classic - two days of fun for owners at the wheel of their cars, first on the track and second on a tour of Palm Beach - and the cultural part, which takes the form of numerous forums (all open to the public) that examine, in depth, the history of Ferrari, its models and the fascinating history of single cars. This year, for example, the spotlight was on a 250 GT Berlinetta SWB that has been with the same owner for over 30 years.

The event attracted a sizeable crowd, with enthusiasts eager to see cars “in the flesh” again, as opposed to online. The most important US-based Ferrari collectors were in attendance, but the European, South American and Asian ones (and their cars) were absent, for obvious reasons. Everyone wore masks to make the older collectors comfortable, and it was a small price to pay to be able to converse with friends after a year in hibernation. 

There were over 100 Ferraris on display, and as usual the standard was very high. The following important models were each represented by two examples: 250 GTO, 250 SWB (one a “competizione” version), 275 GTB/4 and 250 GTL, as well as the more modern 288 GTO, F40 and SF90 Stradale. Other highlights attracting the attention of enthusiasts were a 2015 FXX-K, one of only 40 produced, the 2001 Formula 1 F2001b (chassis #215) formerly driven by Michael Schumacher, a 1957 250 Testa Rossa (chassis #0704 TR), and the 1952 Arno XI racing motorboat (keel #001), built by Cantieri Timossi and equipped with the 4.5-liter 12-cylinder engine usually used on F1 375s. Furthermore, a remarkable 12 Ferraris - we are talking about the 365, 512 and 512i models, plus the various evolutions of the Testarossa - all equipped with the 12-cylinder Boxer engine, came together to mark the 50th anniversary of the unveiling, at the 1971 Turin Motor Show, of the 364 GT/4 BB, the first road Ferrari to adopt this type of engine.

The winners of the two most important awards at the 30th Cavallino Classic, the top Concorso for classic Ferraris worldwide, were decided during the weekend. “The Scuderia Ferrari Cup”, awarded to the most important competition Ferrari, went to a 1957 250 GT TdF, while “The Gran Turismo Ferrari Cup”, for the best Ferrari GT, was won by a 1952 212 Inter Cabriolet Pinin Farina. The two awards were presented by John Barnes, founder of the Cavallino Classic, and Luigi Orlandini, Chairman and CEO of Canossa Events, which in 2020 took over the management and organization of the Cavallino Classic. Orlandini’s participation in the ceremony formally marked the handover.

“The Cavallino Classic”, Orlandini said, “is the world’s most important event dedicated to vintage Ferraris. Despite having to postpone it by two months this year due to the pandemic, the turnout of participants and public has been great - all the tickets to the event were sold. At Saturday’s Concorso d’Eleganza, held in the gardens of The Breakers Resort in Palm Beach, we had an incredible selection of cars on display, including two 250 GTOs, a Formula 1 driven by Michael Schumacher, and many other “four-wheeled works of art”.

During the Cavallino Classic, Luigi Orlandini also announced that Cavallino is to pay tribute to Enzo Ferrari through a special by-invitation-only event due to take place in Modena from 2 to 4 July. This will be followed in December by a “special edition” Cavallino Classic in Dubai, which will coincide with Dubai Expo, the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix and, for anyone interested, also the “first” F1 Grand Prix in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It has been confirmed that in 2022, Cavallino will return to its traditional slot in the third week of January (January 20-23, 2022).