REVscene Automotive Forum - The Biggest F-You to Poor ppl. Ferrari's Book Retails for $275,000

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Diamond-Encrusted Ferrari History Book Retails for $275,000

Ferrari‘s cars are both expensive and rare, and apparently so is the company’s newest book. A new book covering the Maranello automaker’s complete history is set to be released in a limited run, and retail for around $275,000.

Fans obsessed with the Italian automaker will undoubtedly take an interest in the book, as it highlights every road and race car ever constructed by Ferrari, every driver contracted by the company, and a complete history of the automaker itself. In-depth interviews with prior and current company executives are also featured in the opus.

For such an important project, Ferrari entrusted the Opus Media Group to handle the large undertaking. In true Ferrari fashion, the creators of the book paid close attention to detail in putting it together; writers and photographers were given exclusive access to company archives in order to tell the complete story. In total, there are some 2000 photographs and 150,000 words, telling the 80-year history of the sports car maker. The 852-page book is no light reading, as its weight totals some 88 pounds.

The publisher crafted several variations of the book; all of which contain the same content, but cater to different buyers based on exclusivity and cover material. Topping the list with a price of $275,000, the Diamante Edition is limited to just 20 copies, each headed to a different country. Aside from its limited release, the Diamante Edition features a diamond-encrusted prancing horse on the cover, made up of 1500 stones weighing in at 32.3 carats. Furthering the individuality, the limited-edition books can be bound in the leather color of your choice, and are delivered in a carbon-fiber clamshell case.

Other editions with lesser degrees of rarity are also offered, and are much lower in price. The Enzo edition is signed by all living Ferrari world champions and comes with the carbon fiber case; it is limited to 400 copies and retails for $34,925. Selling at $6545, the Cavallino Rampante Edition (Prancing Horse Edition) bears the signatures of several noteworthy Ferrari greats, with no more than 500 copies scheduled for print. Those interested in a more reasonable version may consider the Classic Edition, which sells for $3520 and features the signatures of current Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. A digital edition will soon be available on the Apple iPad and iPhone, but no price has been announced yet. A teaser version of the digital opus is available free of charge from the iTunes store now.

The first Diamante Edition book will travel with Ferrari’s Formula One team through the 2011 season and collect meaningful signatures along the way. It is slated to be auctioned at the end of the season, with an estimated reserve price of $1 million. Proceeds from the sale are to be donated to charity.

The Diamante Edition opus may be of interest to some, but if we had $275,000 burning a hole in our pocket, the local Ferrari dealership would be more likely to benefit. After a quick peek on the web, an ultra-clean 1966 Ferrari 330 GTC is up for grabs on the DuPont Registry, with change to spare. Or if a newer model suits your fancy, several gently used 458s can be had for well under the $300,000 mark.

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