The first Ferrari Store has opened up in Germany and its location could not have been more auspicious — the fancy Ferrari accessories shop will be track-side, overlooking the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Don't be fooled into thinking "Ferrari Store" mean "Ferrari Dealer," instead think floor to ceiling Ferrari tchotkes, with everything from obscenely expensive polo shirts to lithographs to pedal cars.The store at the Nürburgring is part of an expansion of the trackside facilities to a year-round destination of sorts, an ethanol-scented Disneyland with a leisure, shopping, and business mentality. The store was created in the image of Ferrari's focus on both performance and luxury and will thus offer styling cues from its racing past and a fancy lounge for the fans to relax in.
THE NEW FERRARI STORE OPENS AT THE LEGENDARY NÜRBURGRING CIRCUIT
Maranello, July 9th 2009 – The first Ferrari Store in Germany was officially inaugurated today at a very special location: the Nürburgring, which nestles in the gentle Eifel hills and provides the fascinating venue for the German Grand Prix. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was performed by Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen, who had already been out on the track in the run-up to Sunday's Grand Prix. This is also the first Ferrari Store to open at a circuit and comes as part of an ambitious expansion plan to turn the Nürburgring complex into an all-year round leisure and business centre. With this in mind, major new structures are being added, including the shopping centre housing the Ferrari Store, an events centre, a conference centre and hotels.
The 240 square metre Nürburgring Ferrari Store is spread over a single track-level floor. Developed entirely by the Studio Iosa Ghini, its concept sees it as much as a homage to the history and spirit of Ferrari's twin souls of racing and luxury as a straightforward store. Each area has thus been carefully designed as a special, one-off space in which shoppers can truly embrace the Ferrari experience. It will offer a wide selection of products from the Prancing Horse ranges for GT car clients and enthusiasts, and Ferrari tifosi. This latest Ferrari Store will also include an elegant lounge with a business section for meetings and a relaxation area directly overlooking the track itself.
The Nürburgring Ferrari Store joins the other prestige Prancing Horse retail locations around the world, including those in Milan, Rome and Venice (Italy), London (UK), Barcelona (Spain), San Francisco and Miami (USA), Macao (China) and Abu Dhabi (UAE). It was created and will be managed by the Zender Group, which operates in the automotive sector, and has owned the official Ferrari dealership at Mülheim-Kärlich since 1981. The Ferrari Store development programme includes plans to bring the number of openings to more than 40 over the next three years in Europe, America, and the Middle and Far East.
[Source: Ferrari]