Charity begins at home, they say, and Ferrari is coming to the aid of the victims of the two deadly earthquakes that have rocked its home region of Italy, Emilia-Romagna, with an online auction next week that will include an ultra-rare, multimillion-rand Ferrari 599XX, the rolling laboratory supercar that has been developing technology for the next generation of Ferraris.
In the days leading up to the auction there will be a dedicated section on the Ferrari website, aimed at raising a significant sum of money for those families who have lost loved ones and who need to rebuild their lives.
The auction will include important and rare items, such as a Ferrari 599XX with a commercial value of more than R10 million.
There will also be a strong Formula One theme.
On offer will be a complete V8 engine from a Ferrari F1 car, along with racing suits and helmets donated by Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, as well as numerous items of memorabilia from the works racing cars of the past.
Also included will be a selection from the Ferrari store, including a number of Ferrari watches.
As soon as news of the earthquakes spread, Ferrari clients and enthusiasts from around the world began contacting the Maranello headquarters to offer their help. Once again the Ferraristi's generosity will enable the company to provide support to those most hit by tragedy, as it did after the earthquake in Abruzzo and, more recently, by building a school in Fukushima, Japan, after last year's disaster.