Ferrari Factory Tour

After sampling the magnificent 612 Scaglietti,
Automobile Magazine's senior editor Joe Lorio
got a tour of the place where dreams are built,
the company's gleaming plant in Maranello.



1. Aluminum ingots stacked up at the foundry, where they will be melted down to make Ferrari and Maserati engine blocks and heads.



2. Sand castings are used to form the engine parts.



3. Maserati V-8 cylinder heads are wheeled out of the sandblasting furnace.



4. Although the sign says "12-cylinder team," in fact, both V-8 and V-12 cars are assembled on this line, as is evidenced by the 360 Modena. Only V-8 cars are built on the 8-cylinder line. Ferrari production is 75 percent V-8, 25 percent V-12.



5. Ferrari V-8 engines on stands awaiting testing. All engines are tested, and all cars are test-driven both on the test track and on local roads.



6. The Ferrari Enzo has a special production line, behind which is the area where seats and pedals are custom-fit to owner's specifications. The Enzo's 399-car production run will be completed in June.



7. Because engines are installed at the back of the first assembly station, front-engine cars travel backwards down the line, while mid-engine cars face forward.



8. The aluminum bodies for the 612 Scaglietti and the 360 Modena are built at Carrozzeria Scaglietti in Modena. Every car is hand-smoothed and hand-finished.



9. The dimensions of the doors are hand-checked. (Note the prancing horses on the yellow work table.)



10. A robot checks the dimensions of the body at 893 points. 50 percent of 612 Scaglietti bodies are checked; versus 10 percent of 360 Modenas (which has been in production longer).