Ferraris have always been a prominent feature of the Essen Motor Show since it started in 1968, having several times been the subject of special exhibitions or displays. In 2003 there were even two different display areas dedicated to our favourite marque. In the "Show-Centre“ that housed exhibits ranging from tuned and custom cars via historical and classic cars, to vehicles that have made recent motorsports' history, a large display area named "55 Years of Ferrari in Formula One 1948-2003“ could be found. In hall 6, where dealers from the classic and exotic car trade usually show their wares, the organisers had arranged a nice presentation named "Ferrari - La Passione“, dedicated to Ferrari road and sports-racing cars.

The Formula One exposition was sponsored by Shell and Vodafone, both official suppliers and sponsors of Scuderia Ferrari. The entire section of the Show-Centre was in yellow as a combined tribute to the the City of Modena and Shell. The number and variety of the Formula One Ferraris on display was tremendous and probably surpassed only by the display of monoposti during Ferrari’s own 50 Years' Celebration in Rome in 1997! 18 Ferrari Formula One cars were on show, the oldest being the 1954 500/625 Monoposto of Swiss Jo Vonlanthen, and the most recent an F2002.

FF1 Show Centre

A real surprise was the presence of the impressive 1952 375 Formula One (s/n 5) from the Dutch van der Lof collection: This extremely rare and valuable Formula Ferrari had not been seen in public since the death of Dries van der Lof in 1989. Uwe Meissner’s Modena Motorsport Ltd. of Langenfeld in Germany, newly appointed official "F1 Clienti“ service station (the first ever outside Maranello), had been very helpful in the organisation of this remarkable display, having supplied several magnificent examples either from customers or their own stock. In addition, the famous 550 Maranello-based "Pininfarina Rossa" was also on display in the Show-Center.

The "Ferrari - La Passione“ stand of S.I.H.A. Ltd. was themed in white and red and offered a variety of Ferrari racecars, GTs and road going models. The renowned long-time collector Hartmut Ibing not only provided his 250 GTO ’62 and his 250 LM, but also showed his very rare 275 GTB/4 with all-alloy body for the first time in public!

FFerrari - La Passione

This wonderful Ferrari with s/n10207 is one of only 17 examples of the 275 GTB/4 that were supplied new with a weight-saving bodywork. Most of these few 275 GTB/4s were intended for GT racing by their owners back in 1966 and 1967; likewise s/n 10207 in which German privateer Ric Weiland, a jeweller of Mainz, did some hillclimbs and airfield races.

Collector Peter Gläsel displayed his dark red 250 Testa Rossa Spider Scaglietti, and Michael Trösser had brought along his little 166 MM/53 Barchetta. This Ferrari, s/n 0264M, was supplied new in 1953 as one of only two examples with a factory-made bodywork that resembled the styling of the later Scaglietti Spider coachwork seen on the 500 Mondial and 750 Monza. After a racing career, the original body was removed during a restoration and replaced by a new one similar to aTouring Barchetta.

Arnold Gardemann, the president of the German Ferrari Club (Ferrari Club Deutschland e.V.) provided his F50 and his Enzo for the show, while authorized Ferrari dealer Helmut Eberlein of Kassel/Germany showed a silver-grey 250 GT Lusso and an F40 from his current stock. Another rare Ferrari had its German premiere as well: the dark red 250 GT California Spider SWB, s/n 4121GT, had been imported from California in late summer by Klaus Werner of Wuppertal. This example features a rare hardtop and had been with its last owner for about 30 years! A 330 GTC from Belgium completed this wonderful display of Ferraris.

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