- Ferrari FF ordered by John Elkann is heading to RM Sotheby’s auction.
- Features Nuovo Blu paint with matching seats, dash, and carpets.
- Interior includes cloth seats rarely seen on Ferraris since the ’70s
A prime example of the Ferrari FF, Maranello’s first production wagon and its first all-wheel-drive model, is about to go under the hammer. And while it was originally ordered by the company’s chairman, that’s not even the most interesting part about it.
Neither is the gorgeous Nuovo Blu paint, even though it suits the FF’s slightly gawky styling way better than a more obvious red does. No, it’s what’s inside that really grabs your attention.
Related: You Haven’t Seen A Ferrari F40 Like This, And You Probably Never Will
The dashboard, doors trims, carpets console, steering wheel and seats are all trimmed in a matching Blu that manages to perfectly complement the exterior without being overwhelming. But check out the materials. This Ferrari has cloth seats.
Cloth Comeback
Cloth has been making a comeback over the past few years as a luxury material that’s seen as more ethical and environmentally friendly than leather. But this car was built in 2013, years before that trend, and years after cloth seats ceased to be a regular feature on series production Ferraris.
RM Sotheby’s/Ivan Caravona
Marque experts might know better, but I suspect Ferrari hasn’t fitted cloth-covered seats since the wedge-shaped, Bertone-designed 308 GT4 of the mid-to-late 1970s. But Elkann’s car was clearly no off-the-peg FF, because John Elkann was no ordinary client. The grandson of Fiat legend Gianni Agnelli, Elkann was, in 2013, chairman of Fiat SpA, Ferrari’s parent company at the time. He now serves as chairman of Ferrari itself, which became independent in 2016.
Custom Order
A big chunk of Ferrari buyers take advantage of the brand’s Tailor Made program, which has been making it easier to request bespoke paint and trim since 2008, and Elkann probably isn’t the only customer to special-order cloth seats.
In fact, we know he isn’t, because English golfer Ian Poulter ordered an FF with tartan trim in 2012, though in that case the tartan appeared mostly on the headliner, and only as piping and a slim strip down the center of the Daytona-style leather seats. Elkann, on the other hand, fully embraced the fabric aesthetic.
This unusual FF heads to the RM Sotheby’s auction block in Paris at the end of January, with an estimated value between €220,000 and €320,000 (around $257,000 to $374,000 at current exchange rates). You can view the full listing over here.