You can hear the roar of a Ferrari, you can see one on the track, but you can’t feel the whole experience unless you drive it yourself. Today’s article is about Montblanc’s latest Great Characters Edition that pays tribute to the life and legacy of Enzo Ferrari, the Italian motor racing driver, entrepreneur and founder of the Scuderia Ferrari and the Ferrari automobile company.
It all started with a passion
Enzo Ferrari was born on 18 February 1898 in Modena, Italy, and was introduced to the fascinating world of motor racing at an early age by his father, who took him to several races. He began his motor racing career in 1919 and in 1923, at just 25 years old, he was already winning his first race at the Circuito del Savio in Ravenna. By the end of his racing career, he had participated in over 40 races – often claiming one of the top places. Ferrari’s dream was to be more than a racing driver, which is why 1929 finds him founding his own racing team, Scuderia Ferrari. It was in 1947 when Ferrari built its first car, the 125 S, a 1500cc 12-cylinder engine car that won the Rome Grand Prix. After that achievement, the brand became famous all over the world with sales more than tripling between 1950 and 1960. Even though Enzo Ferrari left this world in 1988, his spirit lives on throughout the empire he built.
The collection
Masterfully crafted by Montblanc, the collection consists of three different editions of writing instruments that tell the story of the exceptional Enzo Ferrari – the Great Characters Enzo Ferarri Special Edition, the Limited Edition 1898 and the Limited Edition 98.
Great Characters Enzo Ferrari Special Edition
Covered in red precious resin, this edition is inspired by the iconic Ferrari color “Rosso 70 Anni” and features characteristic details such as the yellow Montblanc emblem symbolising the colour of Modena or the two dates engraved on the cone (one marking the birth of Enzo Ferrari, the other his first victory at the Circuito del Savio in 1923). The ruthenium-coated clip is decorated with one of Enzo Ferrari’s famous quotes laser-engraved: “You cannot describe passion, you can only live it” and perhaps one of the most iconic details is on the back of the cap that reveals the “Prancing horse” logo of Ferrari with a famous quote by Countess Paolina Biancoli (Le porterà fortuna), who gave the horse to Enzo in recognition of her son who had it painted on his plane during World War I for good luck. The edition is available as a fountain pen featuring a 14k gold rhodium coated nib engraved with a Ferrari 250 GTO wheel, as well as a rollerball and a ballpoint pen.
Great Charcters Enzo Ferrari Limited Edition 1898
Limited to 1898 pieces worldwide to symbolise the year of Enzo Ferrari’s birth, the Great Characters Enzo Ferrari Limited Edition 1898 is created from metal evoking the surface of the original Ferrari 125S’ engine. The cone is adorned with the production date of the first Ferrari car produced at Maranello as well as the date the marked the first racing victory for a Ferrari branded car. The Ferrari story began at Maranello, that’s why the ring on the top cap is embossed with the address of the factory. Unlike the aforementioned edition, the Montblanc emblem is in frosted quartz to symbolise the frozen windows on which Enzo Ferrari would practice his signature as a young boy dreaming to be a race driver one day. As on the other pen’s nib, a Ferrari 250 GTO wheel adorns the nib, which in this case is made of 18k gold.
Great Character Enzo Ferrari Limited Edition 98
This edition is limited to only 98 numbered pieces worldwide as an homage to the Cavallino Rampante, the Prancing Horse bestowed as a personal emblem to the founder of the Ferrari 98 years ago. Both the cap and barrel of this edition are hand lacquered in “Rosso Corso”, the official racing colour of Ferrari. To celebrate the moment of foundation, Montblanc decorated the cap with the number 29 symbolising the year Scuderia Ferrari was founded. There is a special mechanism that offers a glimpse inside the barrel, where the Prancing Horse is revealed when turning the cone to fill up the fountain pen with ink recreating the same scenario when gas is being poured into the tank to bring a powerful engine to life.
Over the years, Ferrari has achieved so many victories in Formula 1 and the dates engraved on the cone (14/07/1951 and 11/09/1988) refer to two of the most important ones. Another feature worth mentioning is the rotatable slider in matte white gold on the barrel that reveals the date of five historical Ferrari victories. The base of the clip is lacquered in the same iconic red and around it are six lines to each side, symbolising the famous Ferrari V12 engine. On each side of the cap you can see four air vents that draw inspiration from those on the bodywork of the 1952 Ferrari 500 F2, the winner car of the first F1 Championship for the Scuderia. The Montblanc emblem has Enzo Ferrari’s signature in the centre and it’s surrounded by intricate metalwork reminiscent of a vintage car grill. A forged metal part made from 18k gold with ruthenium coating recreates the engine of the aforementioned car and it’s displayed on te barrel. Besides “il Commendatore” or “il Grande Vechhio”, Enzo Ferrari was also known as “il Drake” that’s why the 18k gold nib comes decorated with the word “Drake”.
The Montblanc Great Character Enzo Ferrari Edition will be available from November at Montblanc boutiques and online or at authorised retailers.
