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essex ferrari issue 316 may 2015 Newsletter of the essex group of the ferrari owners club of great britain
essex ferrari issue 316 may 2015
Newsletter of the essex group of the ferrari owners club of great britain
488GTB Launch PartyIt isn’t every day that you receive an invite to the launch of a new car let alone the latest offering from Maranello, so when Jonathan Eckersley and I found ourselves in just such a position we politely accepted whilst secretly jumping up and down like schoolgirls at a One Direction concert (well, at least I was).The venue for the launch was a rather austere looking building called ‘the Sorting Office’ near Holborn in London, which is as its name suggests, a former Post Office sorting depot. Whilst the outside of the building may not have been very appealing, the line up of V8 Ferrari’s - parked up in chronological order from 308 through to 458 - certainly made for a much prettier sight opposite the entrance in New Oxford Street.
This selection of Maranello masterpieces certainly caused a stir with commuters and tourists alike stopping to take pictures and enquire from those who seemed to be ‘in the know’ why the cars were there and what was going on. They weren’t the only ones attempting to get the best picture of this magnificent line up, those of us lucky enough to be going inside for the launch could also be found crouching in the middle of the road hiding behind their cameras.
Adam Nardone from Lancaster Colchester was among those on hand to welcome everyone on behalf of Ferrari North Europe so we stopped for a short chat before making our way into the launch party and our first glass of champagne.Immediately inside, the new 488GTB was safely covered from prying eyes whilst everyone was encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to catch up with friends and make new friends with the girls dispensing liquid refreshment from Ferrari partner Veuve Clicquot and the delicious nibbles.On display in a mock pit garage was Kimi Raikkonen’s F1 SF15-T opposite a bleacher style viewing area for the launch show. Between this was a ‘road’ along which one presumed another 488GTB would be driven for the guests.Stomp, a percussive group who use everyday objects in their show began proceedings with a noisy rhythmic display on oil drums before Director of Ferrari North Europe, Francesco Bianchi gave a presentation of the new car.Finally it was time for us to see (and hear) Ferrari’s new baby as it was driven along the ‘road’ and parked in front of the F1 car where we were then invited to take a closer look.Now I’m not too familiar with build quality of the newer Ferrari’s but my first impression of this particular car was that the fit and finish was nothing short of superb. Everything about it says quality and I’m sure that those fortunate enough to have their deposits in will be very pleased with their new cars when they start arriving later this year.
We were then all left to wander round the venue, drink more champagne, catch up with friends, have your photo taken, grab a bite to eat, drink champagne and view the two 488’s on display - one rosso corsa with beige, the other grigio with beige - and drink champagne.Several other Essex members were there including Michael & Sayonara Claydon who we bumped into as soon as we arrived and Brian & Lorna Grove who we spent quite a while chatting to whilst also polishing off a good selection of the canapes on offer.When it was time to leave both Jon and I were still on quite a high so decided to find somewhere to finish off the evening only to be duped by one of London’s rickshaw riders who took us (and £5) to a pub that was closed! Well, you live and learn I suppose.This was a really enjoyable evening and I would like to thank Gary Dearn for the invite and Ferrari North Europe for their fantastic hospitality.
AutoItalia - Brooklands 2nd MaySix Essex members accepted the kind invitation from Surrey AGO Chris Strelley to attend Auto Italia (that’s Car Italy, thank you Google Translate) at Brooklands on 2nd May. Having attended Brooklands before, but not Car Italy, I was keen to sign up. Steve & Jan Target decided to join us the night before and stay at the Cobham Hilton, ready for the early start on Saturday.
In addition to the regular static displays in the hangers & garages of Brooklands were the club stands and market stalls. Barkaways were there displaying Lancia & Ferrari and Hoyle-Fox from Maldon, Essex also had Ferraris on display, including the Chairs & Flares Dino I saw at ExCeL back in January. Owners displaying Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini, Fiat and of course Ferrari were in abundance, as were the crowds, but in general it was all very good natured and the visitors were considerate & respectful.
Chris did an excellent job of making sure everyone had their entry tickets and in corralling the drivers for the departure. It was quite a sight and wonderful to be a part of a two-dozen-procession of Ferraris. And then the fun began. The traffic lights separated us into smaller packs and you could see Ferraris heading off here, there & everywhere. Steve seemed to enjoy doing numerous laps of every roundabout he came across, but eventually we all made it through and got ourselves parked up.
The Test Hill was open for those wishing to see if their vehicle could make it to the top, pretty academic these days as surely anything post-1930 would make it, although our own Michael Claydon went up twice in his Speciale just to make sure the first attempt wasn’t a fluke!
All in all I think Auto Italia is an excellent event and well worth a visit, as is Brooklands itself. Thanks again to Chris for extending the invite to Essex members.
Star Wars Day Drive Out - May the 4th (be with you)The following report was produced by Mr Turning of Essex and is subtitled "It's not a true Essex Drive Out unless we get lost at some point.”
The Force was strong in Essex as 13 Ferraris and a Lotus took to the roads of the Dagobah [Dengie] Peninsula for our Star Wars May the Fourth Drive Out. The meeting point was moved last-minute but unfortunately for Nick & Julia Anderson and their 430 the goal posts were not…
We set off at 1.15 on a pre-determined route I’d planned at the office using Google Maps, picking up Kay & Greg Thompson in their yellow Dino along the way. I knew it would be difficult if not impossible to keep a dozen or so cars in convoy so I’d made sure each driver had a copy of the route, suitably vague enough to keep them interested which seemed a good idea at the time, although it later transpired The Force may have been strong but the directions were weak - an error on a road name left the group baffled in the centre of
Kay & Greg had local knowledge so offered to take the lead but I’m not sure anyone actually followed them. Terry & Alex Hoyle in their 365 said the same, but I’m not sure anyone followed them either! Ian & Debbie Moyler managed to turn their 430 around and lead a few off while Dave Billison in his silver 308GT4 and Bart & Andy Hull in the blue 355 maintained confidence in me and followed my 550 as we picked up the planned route through to the RAF memorial at Bradwell-On-Sea.
I was very pleased (read: relieved) to see on arrival the Ferraris of Enzo (550), Graham (360) and Steve & Jan Target (348) already parked up, and we were soon joined by, Keith & Sylvie Hughes’ 550, Ray & Denise Jenkins in their 412 and finally, to spontaneous applause, Gino & Susan in their 360.
Terry led us up to the old airstrip where some of us were ‘able to explore the acceleratory potential’ of our cars before following him back to his home and an afternoon tea very kindly laid on by his wife, Gwen. Even Lewis & Antony Shine were made welcome despite driving a Lotus; Antony’s insistence that his new red ride was in fact an Evorarri fooled no one!
The Hoyle’s hospitality was boundless as tea & cakes and scones with cream & home-made jam was produced in what seemed endless supply. After refreshments we were led through for a tour of Terry’s study and then on to the garages & workshop. I could listen to Terry for hours, a good job too, as he regales us with tales of cars, trips & personalities he’s encountered on his colourful life so far. Some of the stories were even true!
All too soon it was time for Keith to put away his lightsaber, Andy his Lego X-Wings fighters and for Graham to wrap a seatbelt around R2D2. The local festival scarecrows that watched us from people’s front gardens, the school playground and even the couple dressed as newly-weds in the churchyard (I assume they were scarecrows) witnessed for the final time a procession of Ferraris heading for home, content following a fantastic afternoon of driving on fabulous roads, even if one or two of us did get a little lost..
Many thanks to all of you for making this a very enjoyable event. May The Force Be With You.
Pictures by: Raymond Jenkins; Jonathan Eckersley; Steve Target
AugustTBC IAM Driving Road Safety Course - Cavallino House
8 Mersea Lions Club Transport Show - Mersea Island
July3-5 British Grand Prix - Silverstone
5 Classics on the Quay - Maldon
11-12 National Meet & Concours - Stapleford Park, Leicestershire
21 FOC Track Day - Oulton Park
24-26 Silverstone Classic - Silverstone Circuit
29 Essex Ferrari monthly meeting - The Anchor, Danbury
31-2 Aug CarFest North - Oulton Park
27 Essex Ferrari monthly Meeting - The Anchor, Danbury
31 FOC Picnic - Kelmarsh Hall
June6 FOC Track Day - Goodwood Circuit
6 Kent Ferrari 25th Anniversary Summer Ball - Thistle, Brands Hatch
13-14 Le Mans
13-14 Essex Ferrari French Trip - Chateau Cocove
21 FOC Picnic - Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire
24 Essex Ferrari monthly meeting - The Anchor, Danbury
calendar
October1-3 Ferrari Factory Tour 1
5-7 Ferrari Factory Tour 2
28 Essex Ferrari monthly meeting - The Anchor, Danbury
Dates and events to be confirmed:Essex Photo shoot with Alex Hoyle; Bikesafe Rider Training course with the Met Police; Afternoon Tea for our Ladies
6 Wessex Car Show
11-13 Goodwood Revival
13 FOC Picnic & Hill drive - Prescott
22 FOC Track Day - Silverstone International Circuit
26-27 Essex Ferrari trip to The New Forest with overnight stay at Passford House Hotel, Lymington
27 FOC Picnic - Beaulieu
30 Essex Ferrari monthly meeting - The Anchor, Danbury
SeptemberTBC Classic Village Fair - Whittlebury
TBC Colchester Lions Club Vehicle Show - Castle Park, Colchester
3-5 Salon Privé - Blenheim Palace
16 FOC Picnic - Elton Hall, Peterborough
26 Essex Ferrari Monthly Meeting - The Anchor, Danbury
28-30 CarFest South - Laverstoke Park Farm
30 Herts Ferrari - Berkhampsted School
Steve Target
07944 [email protected]
We always look forward to meeting new members and would love to see you at our monthly meetings. We would also be delighted to hear from anyone with any suggestions for events or for
the newsletter. Any photos or articles are also always very welcome.
Essex ferrari monthly meetings
Our monthly meetings are held on the last Wednesday of each month at The Anchor, Runsell Green, Danbury CM3 4QZ
Tel: 01245 222457www.theanchordanbury.co.uk
next meetingwednesday 27th mAy
Further details, a full calendar of National events and the relevant booking forms can be found on the Ferrari
Owners Club website at: www.ferrariownersclub.co.uk Office Tel: 01327 855430
Jonathan Eckersley
07967 [email protected]
