The glass case, designed by architects Figgis and Jefferson Tepa and built by Reitsma Constructions, holds a Ferrari 488 GTB seemingly without support above the Pacific Highway at the Armaton dealership.
The magic of the floating car is attributed to its glass base that weighs 2.5 tonnes and is 64mm thick.
The centrepiece to the new dealership, which has Ferrari on the second floor with Fiat and Alfa Romeo below and then Maserati on the ground floor, is a first for Ferrari’s global outlets and was entirely conceived, designed and built in Sydney.
McCarroll’s Automotive Group dealer principal Simon McCarroll told GoAutoNews Premium that the showcase was “something really different”.
“This is a reflection of the dedication to excellence of Ferrari and McCarroll’s,” he said.
“We are thrilled that the addition of Ferrari North Shore to our dealer stable will now mark the milestone of 40 years of business for McCarrolls and 29 years of Ferrari on Sydney’s North Shore.
“Having successfully taken over the running of the Ferrari Sydney dealership in Waterloo in 2015, we have established great relationships with many loyal Ferrari clients and friends from the North Shore area and are very much looking forward to welcoming them in to celebrate this incredible new Ferrari facility with us.”
More than 200 VIP guests including Ferrari Far and Middle East CEO Dieter Knechtel and Ferrari Australasia CEO Herbert Appleroth attended the official opening of the showroom – before the addition of the glass case exhibit – in December.
Ferrari unveiled the Ferrari 488 Pista and 488 Pista Spider for the first time at the event and guests enjoyed Veuve-Clicquot champagne and an Italian-inspired menu created by award-winning chef Giovanni Pilu.
The Italian inspired Ferrari North Shore showroom – the ninth Ferrari dealership in Australia and New Zealand – covers 1200 square metres with much of the interior imported from Italy, featuring luxurious imported Italian-made furnishings from Cassina, Poltrona Frau, Casalgrande Padana, Barrisol and iGuzzini.
The showroom joins the 2400 square metre state-of-the-art Ferrari North Shore Service Centre in Roseville which recently opened and is now fully operational.
The workshop incorporates the latest Ferrari corporate identity products imported from Italy including Dea Cabinets, Worky Extraction system and Corghi hoists.
The bespoke design of the workshop space follows the “formula uomo” philosophy which creates a positive environment for the workshop’s world-class team.
This centre will incorporate a Ferrari Classiche zone – to be the only one in the southern Hemisphere – to be completed later this year.
Mr McCarroll said significant resources have been allocated to Ferrari technician training.
The Ferrari North Shore Service technicians are Ferrari factory trained and have the latest tooling and diagnostic equipment direct from Maranello.
They are capable of working on the full range of Ferrari models from performing regular maintenance to Challenge Car preparation, Classiche Car certification and even special series vehicles such as the LaFerrari.
Head technician, Jonathan Burrelli, has been with Ferrari since beginning his apprenticeship in 2009, and is one of the highest trained Ferrari technicians in the Southern Hemisphere. He has participated in the final elimination round of the global Ferrari Technician Challenge for Master Technicians in both 2017 and 2018.
Working closely with Jonathan is service manager Adriano Giorgi who is a certified Master Technician and has 19 years experience as a technician in Italian automobiles, with a keen interest in racing.
Guests were told that Australia has a longstanding history with Ferrari and its position as a market of global significance has continued to develop in recent years.
The first Ferrari arrived into Australia in 1952, only five years after the first Ferrari car was built in 1947.
Sydney’s North Shore has played an important part of Ferrari’s history in Australia too, with the first dealer distribution first established in Roseville in the 1960s.
Since the Ferrari Australasia office was opened in 2013, the business has seen unprecedented growth and consecutive years of record sales with Ferrari ownership within Sydney North Shore postcodes amongst the highest in the nation.
By Neil Dowling
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