Created in 2002, Ferrari’s Special Sales division is one of the most coveted circles to be a part of if you’re lucky enough to be a Prancing Horse collector, as it allows these handpicked individuals to buy the rarest of the rare examples – Ferrari prototype cars.
Special Sales aims to broaden and strengthen the relationship between the prestigious marque and those loyal patrons who are “looking for exciting new ways to enhance their Ferrari-badged garages.”
Barely a handful of individuals have ever been asked to take part in the programme though now it is steadily growing in side, said the automaker.
Founded in F1
At inception, Special Sales was targeted at enabling key collectors to acquire retired Ferrari Formula 1 racing cars.
Soon thereafter, it expanded to include the XX Programme cars, and it didn’t take much longer for special one-off Ferrari models to become a part of it, too.
However, around seven years ago, “Ferrari noticed there was great interest among collectors for Maranello prototypes, an appetite born out of their desire to get a more intimate understanding of the Ferrari development process,” said the supercar manufacturer.
From Muletto to Prototipo
Prototypes are the development vehicles with which Ferrari tests state-of-the-art technologies such as its engines, suspension, aerodynamics, and importantly, new avenues for electrification.
These rolling experiments are the result of a multi-phase development process that starts with what the company calls a Muletto (“little mule”) which piggybacks on existing models whose architectures match as closely as possible to that of the car being developed.
“The Muletto serves to test a new car’s single components, such as the powertrain, brakes, suspensions, or hybrid systems,” said Ferrari.
The next stage of the prototype’s evolution is the Mulotipo.
This phase signifies that the supercar’s foundation is near completion, but that the body it is wearing is not the final one and rather an adaptation of that of the piggyback model. This allows it to be tested on open roads while protecting its real shape from the public eye.
Finally, the test mule enters the Prototipo chapter where it reaches its final form, both in terms of mechanical components as well as interior and exterior appointments.
“For Maranello collectors who want to have a more exclusive connection to the Prancing Horse, prototypes offer an excellent avenue. But they will never be seen on the open road as their test-bed nature means they cannot be homologated,” said Ferrari.
“Each of them is a unique piece in terms of contents, pedigree, and history, playing a crucial role in the story of Ferrari.”
Since its launch, the Special Sales prototypes programme has placed with collectors a small number of units of the progenitors of the limited-edition LaFerrari, the Special Series F12tdf, and the Icona Monza SP1 and SP2
One proud collector, Lorenzo Innocenti, has even been given the honour to take ownership of a prototype of the legendary Ferrari Enzo.
Keyword: The secret Ferrari owners’ club where only the rarest prancing horses are sold