Forty Ferraris in the Bay
Club president Pete Blomfield with his 1994 348 Spider Ferrari. Photo: Neil Wilson.
Members of the New Zealand Ferrari Owners club created a mobile tourist attraction in Pohara last Sunday. Rare enough on their own, the 40-odd cars created a real stir, and became a magnet for photographers while their owners had lunch at the Penguin Café.
The owners had been attending their club’s annual general meeting in Nelson over the previous two days and took the opportunity to give their beloved vehicles a run over the Hill, said South Island president Pete Blomfield.
“Ferrari owners tend to be a bit extrovert,” he said. “They enjoy owning quality cars and they really enjoy being out with them. The club itself doesn’t look for publicity. We don’t tell the media when we’re likely to be in an area or anything like that. We’re only too happy to share the enjoyment of our cars, though.
“We were in Havelock the other day and we parked up while we went on a boat trip. The local St John kids volunteered to look after our cars while we were away so, to say thanks, we took them for rides in our cars when we got back.”
Peter explained that the worldwide charity supported by the Ferrari marque was muscular dystrophy. Apparently Enzo Ferrari’s son Dino suffered from the condition.
“In New Zealand the owners club sometimes chooses to support other charities like Canteen as well,” said Peter. “We have a charity day once a year where we go to the track at Pukekohe and go around as fast as we like. People are often quite happy to give something to charity for a few laps in the passenger’s seat.”
Peter’s Ferrari is a 1994 348 Spider. It has a 3.4 litre motor and can go from zero to sixty in five seconds.
“It has a top of speed of 171mph,”said Peter. “Apparently. This club has a very good relationship with the police. We’re known to be very law-abiding,” he added.
So, what is it about Ferraris in particular that attracts an owner, other than the exclusivity?
“They’re the meeting point between art and engineering,” said Peter. “They’re just beautiful machines.”
Neil Wilson
