There was only one stand to be on during the opening day in Frankfurt, and there was a real scrum as the German and international press squeezed onto the Prancing Horse display to see national racing hero Michael Schumacher and Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo unveil the astounding new 430 Scuderia. Two gleaming examples of the 430 Scuderia - one in red and one in a very distinctive metallic blue - were on show as the media attention became frenzied.

Once again the Frankfurt Show was selected as the venue for the unveiling of a new Ferrari model. The 430 Scuderia is a special series model based on the F430 and developed specifically with the Prancing Horse's sportiest and most passionate clients in mind. The new extremely high performance two-seater berlinetta is brimming with Formula 1-derived technology and joins the F430 and F430 Spider to complete Ferrari's 8-cylinder model range. The 430 Scuderia was officially unveiled by Michael Schumacher who contributed to its development at different stages, further strengthening the link between this new model and Ferrari's Formula 1 single-seaters. Contemporary to the Frankfurt Motor Show presentation, the 430 Scuderia was also unveiled yesterday at the Galleria Ferrari in Maranello.

All of the other Ferraris currently in production are also on the stand alongside the new 430 Scuderia: the F430 and the F430 Spider, Ferrari's bestselling models which account for approximately 75% of sales, the 599 GTB Fiorano a year on from its launch, and the 612 Scaglietti, Ferrari's flagship GT featuring updated cabin trim and accessories, including magnificent Bose infotelematic system. The F2007 is also on show alongside the 430 Scuderia. The world of Formula 1 is also immortalised in "Boxenstopp", a stunning image of a Scuderia Ferrari pit-stop in full swing created by internationally renowned artist-photographer Andreas Gursky.

The Frankfurt Show has also been chosen as the launch pad for several classic Ferrari colours and heritage-inspired interior trims: the F430 Spider on display features an ivory livery with chocolate brown Frau leather cabin trim, while the 599 GTB Fiorano sports a dark grey paintwork popular in the 1960s combined with a leather interior trim. The entire range of 10 historic colours together with the 16 contemporary shades is available for all models.

2007 is proving to be a particularly impressive year for Ferrari from a financial perspective. Revenues increased by 14% in the first half of the year, with a forecast that the operating result will reach 15% by the end of the year. Ferrari's output will also exceed the 6,000-car mark for the first time in 2007. North America, Germany, Italy and the UK continue to be the company's largest markets together with France, Switzerland and Japan. These fantastic results are a testament to the exceptionally high standard of craftsmanship at Maranello, a standard also recognised when Ferrari was named Best Place To Work in Europe 2007.

With demand for luxury products continuing to boom in existing and emerging markets, it is relatively easy for luxury brands to sell exclusive products which are often very expensive.
 

What really counts at times like this is the exclusive relationship that the brand has established with its loyal clients and enthusiasts. Ferrari has always had a very close and personal relationship with its clients. This relationship has been further enhanced by the wide range of services which have been introduced over recent years, some of which are being showcased at Frankfurt 2007: the Ferrari Classiche division which safeguards the future of historic and vintage Ferraris; the Corse Clienti (Client Racing) division which organises track activities and our singleseries championships; the Carrozzeria Scaglietti Personalisation Programme, now supported by a sophisticated Car Configurator; Financial Services which offers clients a range of personalised financing options for everything from GTs to F1s, and, of course, a whole plethora of new advantages to the 430 Scuderia clients; the Ferrari Owners' Clubs plus the Ferrari Owners' Site with its own array of exclusive services. The aforementioned are just a selection of the many activities and services being offered by the Prancing Horse to its clients.

Launched in 1997, the Carrozzeria Scaglietti Personalisation Programme offers clients the opportunity to tailor their car to meet their specific personal tastes and requirements - to turn their Ferrari into a truly unique and creative piece of engineering. There are four distinct personalisation areas: Racing and Track, Exteriors and Colours, Interiors and Materials, Equipment and Travel. However, in addition to these, clients are also welcome to make specific noncatalogue requests: since Sergio Scaglietti first began working with Ferrari, the Prancing Horse cars have been tailor-made for their owners. Today, in fact, practically 100% of all road-going Ferraris include personalisation features requested by their owners.

Ferrari Deutschland, which is based in Wiesbaden, has been managing our German market since 1989. With a total of 23 dealerships and 4 assistance points, Germany competes with Italy as Ferrari's second largest market, accounting for around 12% of the Prancing Horse's total sales. Ferrari's German clients have always retained very close links to the Prancing Horse and we ensure these links remain strong by offering a very high standard of service. At the start of 2007, for instance, we founded Ferrari Financial Services Deutschland, which is controlled by the Maranello-based Ferrari Financial Services SpA. The German company operates within Germany where, within a few short months, the services it offers have been taken up for 40% of the cars sold, as well as in Austria, France, Belgium and Switzerland.

Germany is Ferrari's third largest market after the United States and the UK in terms of the percentage of clients registered with the Ferrari Owners' Site (11%) while the Ferrari Club Deutschland has approximately 500 members spread throughout the country.