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Ferrari has big plans for its 70th birthday: 350 special-edition models

Ferrari 488 Spider
Image used with permission by copyright holder
To celebrate big anniversaries, carmakers often launch special-edition models. To be truly special, these models have to be built in small quantities. But for its 70th anniversary, Ferrari is launching a veritable fleet of them.

The Italian carmaker will build 350 70th anniversary models — 70 cars for each of its five current model lines. The celebratory horde will be unveiled at the 2016 Paris Motor Show this fall, Autocar reports. The production run was announced at a gathering of 100 Ferrari owners who competed in the recent Ferrari Cavalcade in Venice, Italy. Ferrari is probably hoping each of them will be enticed to write a few checks.

The lineup will reportedly include versions of the 488 GTB  and F12 Berlinetta coupes, 488 Spider and California T convertibles, and the new GTC4 Lusso shooting brake. The cars may draw inspiration from notable historic Ferrari models, and will “feature the highest technology and design capability of the company,” Ferrari marketing boss Enrico Galliera told Autocar.

Read more: 2016 Ferrari California T review

Despite the plethora of anniversary models, Ferrari anticipates greater demand than supply. As with past special editions, Ferrari management will handpick the customers who get to purchase the 70th anniversary cars. Speaking at the gathering where the special editions were announced, Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne said this was “probably the most difficult part of what I do.”

When they debut in Paris, the 70th anniversary models will have to compete for attention with yet another special-edition Ferrari, a convertible version of the LaFerrari hybrid supercar. Hinted at numerous times over the past few months, it should be identical to the 963-horsepower LaFerrari coupe, but with the roof subtracted. The entire production run is already sold out.

We’ll have more information on the 70th anniversary Ferrari models and the LaFerrari convertible when the Ferrari-filled 2016 Paris Motor Show opens its doors in October.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
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