Ferrari marks 40 years in Hong Kong with a stunning retrospective and the unveiling of the all-new Ferrari Roma Spider

Past, present and future came together in grand Italian style when Blackbird Concessionaires celebrated the 40th anniversary of Ferrari in Hong Kong. The extraordinary event, held at the historic Repulse Bay property, featured a showcase of the latest Ferrari models as well as a mind-blowing retrospective of Maranello’s finest machines in a grouping never before seen in Hong Kong.

The one-of-a-kind display comprised Ferrari’s current road cars, including the all- new Ferrari Roma Spider and Purosangue all the way up to the ultimate Icona series with the gorgeous Ferrari Daytona SP3, as well as some incredibly unique and Officina Classiche restored classics, racing models, and the entire V8 and V12 special edition line-up. Also featured was the stunning and rarely seen LaFerrari prototype.

Perhaps most significant of all was the car that began Ferrari’s journey in Hong Kong four decades ago. The 1983 Ferrari 308 GTS, which was manufactured until 1985, was a pop culture icon and was featured in various 1980s movies and TV shows, including Magnum P.I., as well as numerous Hong Kong films. The car on display at the event – equipped with a 240hp Tipo 105 2.9L V8 engine – was amongst the first delivered new to Hong Kong in 1983 and has remained in circulation in the city until today.

Other classic cars on display included the GTO, which was announced by Enzo Ferrari in September 1983 and unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1984. Styled by Pininfarina and with seemingly inexhaustible power at 2.8L and eight cylinders, it was the closest thing to a racing car at the time. The F40, meanwhile, was built to celebrate the marque’s 40th anniversary in 1987. A very fast berlinetta designed by Pininfarina and built mainly from composites, it also had a great dynamic prowess that was likewise close to that of a racing car.

The follow-up F50, created to celebrate the 50th anniversary, was the closest thing to a road-going Formula 1 car the company had ever built. It was devoid of power steering, power-assisted braking and ABS, but made extensive use of sophisticated composite materials, F1-style construction technology and aerodynamics. Completing the family of extreme performance cars on display was the Enzo Ferrari, launched in 2002 as the expression of the latest Formula 1 technology and know-how, and the LaFerrari, the first- ever production car to be equipped with the F1-derived hybrid solution and Ferrari’s most ambitious project to date.

In keeping with the event theme of #FerrariHK40: Memories and Visionaries, the stunning showcase looked to the future as well as the past with the grand unveiling of the all-new Ferrari Roma Spider. The latest model out of Maranello is a contemporary take on the chic, pleasure-seeking Italian lifestyle of the 1950s and ’60s. It carries over the proportions, volumes and specifications of the Ferrari Roma’s hugely successful V8 2+ concept, with the welcome addition of an innovative soft top.

The Ferrari Roma Spider marks the soft top’s first return to the Prancing Horse range on a front-engined car in 54 years, since the 1969 365 GTS4. It features a novel and modern take on the soft-top design, with extensive personalisation options that include sophisticated, bespoke fabrics and contrasting stitching. Not only does the exceedingly compact soft top deploy in just 13.5 seconds but it can be actioned at up to 60 km/h. A new, patented wind deflector integrated into the backrest of the rear bench can also be deployed by a button on the central tunnel, guaranteeing exceptional in-car occupant comfort without taking up any space in the car.

The Ferrari Roma Spider also retains the Roma’s excellent dynamic characteristics: it boasts a best-in-class weight/power ratio thanks not only to its soft top, but also to its all-aluminium chassis and 620 cv V8 from the engine family that was heralded as the International Engine of the Year on four consecutive occasions. The engine is coupled with Ferrari’s universally acclaimed 8-speed DCT known for its incredibly fast shift times as well as excellent standards of comfort and mechanical efficiency.

What’s more, the Ferrari Roma Spider is not just rewardingly easy to drive but also extremely dynamic and responsive, making it the perfect companion on out-of-town weekends and longer journeys alike. Some of its more versatile features include a category-topping boot size which includes a hatch via the rear seat backrests to allow larger items to be carried, standard wireless connectivity by Android Auto and Apple CarPlay Wi-Fi, and 18-way-adjustable heated ergonomic seats that are also available with an optional neck warmer for colder days.

Setting it apart from most convertibles, the Ferrari Roma Spider’s soft top is made with a new and sophisticated material. Special fabric weaves were selected and developed in colour combinations that highlight the car’s twin souls, one more elegant and the other sportier. The bespoke finish with two-tone weave draws on a palette of four colours highlighting the refined, haute couture nature of the fabric while the optional technical fabric developed specifically for the Ferrari Roma Spider boasts an innovative weave creating an extremely striking iridescent red finish that further enhances the roof’s 3D surface.

Like the 308 GTS, GTO, F40 and more that came before it over the past four decades, the Ferrari Roma Spider is set to offer Hong Kong Ferraristi an unmatched combination of timeless elegance, driving thrills, performance and on-board comfort.

Also see: Horacio Pagani reflects on 25 years of Pagani cars