Ferrari celebrates 20 years in China with limited run 458

It has been 20 years since the first Ferrari, a 348 TS, was ordered in Beijing. And to celebrate the milestone, Ferrari will, in a few weeks time, inaugurate its first ever permanent brand exhibition outside of Maranello – the Italia Center of Shanghai World Expo Park.

Covering 900 sqm, the Ferrari exhibition will last for three years and will feature some of the best collections from the Maranello Museum divided into five topics, including Ferrari in China, Green Technology, Product, Design and Racing. Along with current and past Ferraris, visitors can feast on a rich selection of images and videos.

The other element is the introduction of this special edition 458 Italia, where 20 units will be made just for the China market. The car features livery characterised by unique Chinese elements and is finished in a brand new colour called “Marco Polo Red”.

The inspiration behind the livery came from the longma theme, an old Chinese idiom which means “the vigor and spirit of the legendary dragon-horse”. Dragon is a symbol of Chinese culture, standing for courage, passion and success, whilst Ferrari’s prancing horse logo is one of the most recognised symbols in the world.

Also included are gold finished rims and aeroelastic winglets. The interior sports gold embroidery on the head rests, while the engine start button is inscribed with the simplified Chinese characters for “start”. Of course, a “20th Anniversary Special Edition” plaque takes its place on the dash.