November 21, 2016 – January 30, 2017
Heather James Fine Art presented Ferrari and Futurists – An Italian Look at Speed from Nov. 21, 2016 through Jan. 30, 2017. Curated by Donald Osborne, the exhibition showcased four vintage Ferraris from the collection of Don and Carol Murray that encapsulate the speed, emotion, and personal connection of Ferrari.
The attraction the Futurist artists in Italy in the early 20thcentury had for all things mechanical, powerful and fast certainly could be seen in the creations of a brand that has arguably the very definition of speed and beauty: Ferrari. It is hardly a stretch to make the connection- this Italian artistic movement began with the 1909 manifesto of Marinetti, a poet and editor, and quickly embraced the vigor, power, imagination and above all else the speed represented by machines and how they reflected a truly ‘modern’ life.
Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1939 as Auto Avio Costruzioni, the company built its first car in 1940. The four limited edition models in this exhibition were hand built, historically important examples of the legendary marque. The Ferraris on exhibit included:
Ferrari 166 Inter Berlinetta, 1950: One of 37 built, the 166 Inter was the first Ferrari produced for the road. The classic, simple, elegant and well-detailed bodies Carrozzeria Touring fitted on Ferrari chassis beautifully capture the combination of lightness and strength that these cars possess. This example was the Torino motor show car.
Ferrari 340 America Berlinetta, 1951: While 23 examples of the 340 America were made, this particular car is one of two coupes built by Carrozzeria Touring with extremely lightweight bodywork. This car has been run several times in the Mille Miglia Storica, the modern rally version of the legendary speed event held twenty four times between1927 to 1957.
Ferrari 250 GT Speciale PF, 1956: The Ferrari 250 GT was the first Ferrari model planned for and built in ‘production’ series. This 250 GT, however is not one of those ‘production’ models, but rather a very special variation in which it is one of only four built. This car ran at the famed Nürburgring racetrack in the late 1960’s, has won numerous awards at the highest level, including Best in Class at the 1992 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, and has received several top trophies at national Ferrari events through 2012.
Ferrari 400 Superamerica, 1963: This model firmly placed Ferrari in the world of the super-expensive fast luxury GT, featuring a dramatic, sleek but muscular coupe body called the ‘Coupe Aerodinamico.’ It was introduced in 1959 with 47 of these models produced. Originally owned by Nelson Rockefeller, this coupe can achieve 100mph from rest in just over 17 seconds. It was the recipient of a Best in Class award 2011 at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering in Carmel Valley, CA.