We're used to hugely-expensive Ferrari models, but a book that cost more than an actual sports car from Maranello is a first. It's called “The Official Ferrari Opus” and it retails for $275,000 in its most expensive edition. Publisher Opus Media Group calls it “the most exclusive book in the world.” It might be, at least as far as the price is concerned.
The 852-page Ferrari bible weighs 82 pounds and measures 19.6 square inches. Printed on heavy-duty paper, it contains 2,000 photos and 200,000 words covering every Ferrari road car and race car ever produced, as well as every professional driver to race for the company since 1947.
The book is offered in various editions, ranging in price from $4,100 to $275,000. The “Enzo” edition for instance is limited to 400 copies, with each being “personally signed by all living Ferrari world champions on an individually numbered, silver-foiled signature sheet.” Each book comes in a carbon-fiber case and is priced at $37,500.
More affordable is the $7,500 “Cavallino Rampante” edition, with each of the 500 copies personally signed by “Ferrari greats, past and present.” Finally, the most affordable edition is the “Classic”, limited at 4,100 copies and priced at $4,100. For this kind of cash however, buyers will only receive the signatures of current Ferrari F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.
As for the $275,000 edition, it is called “Enzo Diamante” because of the 30 diamonds that adorn the Prancing Horse logo sitting on the cover. Only 400 copies of this book will be available, but not more than one in each country. Which is kind of odd, as there are 193 internationally-recognized sovereign states in the world. Anyway, buyers of this edition will be entered into a drawing for a replica of the Formula 1 car driven by Michael Schumacher. The copy No. 1 will be auctioned, with proceeds going to charities. Scroll down to see an official presentation of the Official Ferrari Opus.
By Dan Mihalascu
Source: New York Times
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