Ferrari stages Beverly Hills blowout
BEVERLY HILLS — Normally when an automaker puts on a blowout like the one that Ferrari staged here on a deck overlooking Beverly Hills City Hall — bathed in crimson light with Ferrari's prancing horse logo projected on the side — the goal is to sell more cars.
But after spending, basically, a gazillion dollars Saturday night on a bash to mark 60 years of Ferrari in North America, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne says the Ferrari playbook remains the same: stay exclusive. Ferrari will continue to sell relatively few cars worldwide, staying out of the financial reach of the masses.
"It's sacrosanct," said Marchionne as he worked his way out of the bash to celebrate Ferrari's 60th birthday in the USA. "We take this damn thing seriously."
Seriously, indeed. "There's no market more important to Ferrari than North America," he said about what made the Ferrari weekend here so important. Owning a Ferrari, he says, is "almost an addiction."
As if he didn't have enough else on his plate between running both Fiat and Chrysler — which start trading together Monday on the New York Stock Exchange — Marchionne stepped in to take over over Ferrari last month with the sudden, unexpected departure of Ferrari president Luca Di Montezemolo.
Ferrari hosted the black-tie dinner and red carpet for celebrities. Chief among them: Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie star Megan Fox and her husband, Brian Austin Green of Beverly Hills 90210 fame. They arrived in one of Ferrari's most exclusive models, the F12. They munched on filet mignon, ogled fireworks, listened to a chamber orchestra and a performance by singer Mary J. Blige and watched several bidders raise $900,000 in a live charity auction,
On Sunday, Ferrari is shutting down Rodeo Drive to make way for 50 famous Ferraris, to be joined at midday by 10 more driving in a caravan to make it a perfect 60, marking the anniversary.
It's also showing off a new model for the occasion, the F60 America.
As fancy as the occasion was, it was black tie and gowns for the guests — but not Marchionne. He, instead, wore his signature navy-blue sweater over a gingham shirt with dark slacks.