Autoblog

To help celebrate Ferrari's 60th birthday this year, the lads at Top Gear decided to give the Maranello firm's fans a present. The July edition of Top Gear magazine is one of those multiple cover offerings that will have some collectors gobbling up every different version. And this being the 60th anniversary of Enzo's company, there are 60 different covers in all. To help save you a few quid, Top Gear has thoughtfully scanned each cover and presented them in an online gallery for all to see freely. The covers depict some of the more iconic cars and racing moments, as well as some of the legendary characters associated with this Italian marque.

Click through to see the whole gallery. You'll find pics of Enzo himself; racers including Fangio, Shumacher, Phil Hill, Ascari, Lauda and Villeneuve; celebrity owners like Peter Sellers and Sammy Davis, Jr.; and of course there are the cars, as well. Classic images of GPs, in addition to Targa Floria and Goodwood action, bring back memories of Ferrari's racing prowess. Stills of road and race cars make up the remainder of the collection. Everything from a 1948 166 Mille Miglia to the FXX is included. And lest you feel disappointed with the tiny images offered for free on their website, the entire assortment is available in hard copy form. We can't think of more poster-worthy material. If you're a tifosi at heart, make sure you check it out. But you better act quick, the posters are only going to be available for one month.

[Source: Top Gear]

We just got word that Piero Lardi Ferrari, son of Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari, has earned his engineering degree at the age of 62. The graduation was marked with a celebration inside the Ferrari factory test circuit of Fiorano. The other employees of the company who were in attendance apparently joked that he now has almost as much intelligence as they do. Perhaps new designs from a true Ferrari family member are in the company's future.

Piero Lardi Ferrari is the extramarital son of Enzo Ferrari and also happens to own a 10% stake in the Ferrari automotive company. Piero was once a part of Ferrari's Formula 1 program, as well. It took Enzo a full 27 years to acknowledge Piero as his true son, but then the younger Ferrari was welcomed into the fold. Enzo had waited until after the passing of his wife Laura to come forward and admit his affair.

Thanks for the tip, Carlos!

[Source: Argentina Autoblog]

Ask any red-blooded Ferrari tifosi and they'll recognize the significance of the year 1947. That was the year the magic started. It was the year that il commendatore, Enzo Ferrari, started selling the first cars that bore his name. Many world championships, street car accolades, and happy customers later, and the company is still going strong. And now that the calendar is showing 2007, it's time for Ferrari's 60th birthday celebration.

And apparently the Panamerican 20,000 run for the launch of the 599 went better than hoped for and has spawned a sequel. To commemorate this special occasion a road rally will be held, beginning in Abu Dhabi on January 28th and covering 6 different continents along the way. The participants should reach the finish line in Maranello at the end of June. Abu Dhabi is significant as a starting point because it is the site of the future Ferrari theme park and a pretty big market for the Italian firm's vehicles. After crossing 50 different countries, the racers will reach Maranello around June 24th.

As publicity stunts go, this is a doozy. Parading a bunch of Ferraris around the world sounds like our idea of a good time, but it will be educational too. After all, something has to go on those batons. So Ferrari will be showing off 60 of its most important automotive innovations. Things like aluminum pliers for disc brakes, the electric differential, and the F1 gearbox. And it's obvious these innovations have kept Ferrari ahead of the game all these years.

In fact, as they explained in the briefing that accompanied the relay race announcement, business is thriving. Running at almost full capacity, riding a new wave of popularity since the 599 GTB Fiorano was launched, the company again took the opportunity to deny rumors of a new entry-level model, despite continued reports to the contrary. We hope they have a passenger seat open when they hit the States.

Press release after the jump.

We spoke to organizers of the "Runway for Life" benefit for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital over the weekend to get an update on the Enzo auction, and it's safe to say that the car did its job. According to our source, the Enzo sold for $1,150,000 to Luxury Motors, a dealership located in Downer's Grove, Illinois.

The selling price puts the "Runway for Life" car in the same general neighborhood as the 400th Enzo, which was presented to Pope John Paul II and subsequently auctioned off for $1,274,299. The proceeds from that particular sale benefitted survivors of the 2004 tsunami.

We're told to expect a full press release in the near future. When it's made available, we'll update this post accordingly. For now, though, count all of us among those happy to see that the car brought in big bucks for a very worthy cause.

Finally, we'd be remiss if we didn't offer an extra-special tip of the cap to the anonymous donor who generously supplied the car and made this great story possible.

(Additional photo after the jump)

An anonymous and very generous benefactor has donated a Ferrari Enzo to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. The car, a US-spec 2003 model, will be auctioned off on Friday, September 15 at the annual "Runway for Life" event, a star-studded celebrity fashion gala taking place at the Beverly Hilton. Naturally, all paperwork, bespoke luggage, etc. is included with the supercar, which has a mere 1,300 miles on the odometer. It's red, of course.

Break out those wallets, kids. Bidding opens at $875,000 and the proceeds benefit St. Jude's, which works to cure cancer and other catastrophic diseases in children. With that in mind, we hope this one becomes the highest-priced Enzo ever to change hands.

If you're still in the giving mood, don't forget to help us spring spy photographer Brenda Priddy from jail to benefit the March of Dimes. When you donate, leave the comment "Saw this on Autoblog" and you could win one of Brenda's official spy hats.

(Press release after the jump)

[Source: St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital via PRNewswire]

Well, the Ferrari Enzo continues to appreciate in value, and not only due to it's limited production and hyper-exoticness. Some Enzos fall victim to their Schuey-wannabe owners, who learn too late that owning an Enzo and having the skills required to handle one are two very different things.

Today's case in point: the poor, forlorn Enzo pictured above. According to the Swedish blog Bilfeber, this Enzo met its maker outside the Seoul, Korea airport. It's another testament to the Enzo's ability to take damage yet protect its occupants, as the driver walked away with no serious physical injuries. The "I'm such an ass!" feeling he or she is surely experiencing, on the other hand ... well, that's probably going to stick for a while.

Thanks to readers Johan and Roger for the tips!

[Source: Bilfeber]