Fri, Jun 03, 2022 page11

• Supercar makers find fertile ground in Italy

  • AFP, MODENA, Italy
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  If the Italian region of Tuscany has Chianti, Emilia-Romagna has “Motor Valley,” an area that boasts one of the highest concentrations of luxury sports cars and motorbikes in the world.

  The so-called “Land of Motors,” covering about 1,000km2 of prime agricultural land between Bologna and Modena, is home to Automobili Lamborghini SpA, Ferrari SpA, Maserati SpA and Ducati Motor Holding SpA, in addition to less well-known brands.

  Every year — with a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic — industry types and fans flock to Modena for a weekend to talk business, and admire the spectacular vehicles and bikes displayed around town.

  

  Vehicles are assembled at a Pagani Automobili SpA plant in San Cesario sul Panaro, Italy, on Friday last week.

  Photo: AFP

  Among those on show this year was a Pagani Huayra, a futuristic hypercar produced just a few kilometers away in Pagani Automobili SpA’s base at San Cesario sul Panaro, where vehicles are made to measure — and start at a cool 2.6 million euros (US$2.78 million).

  Christopher Pagani, the son of the founder and head of communications, told Agence France-Presse that it takes eight to nine months to manufacture a vehicle, with customers normally waiting two years between order and delivery.

  “In 2022 we are producing some 40 to 45 cars. They are all special because every customer has the opportunity to get in touch with us, visit us and go on this journey,” he said.

  In the factory — dubbed the “workshop” — a few dozen mostly young people work in the hushed and ordered environment of a science lab.

  For the brand, weight is everything, and it uses 40 different types of carbon fiber, as well as titanium and aluminum to make the vehicles as light as possible.

  However, Pagani said talks were underway with clients about a potential electric version, even if it would be heavier due to the battery, as part of a trend toward greener vehicles.

  Christopher Pagani’s father, Horacio Pagani, founded the company in 1998 after working at Lamborghini, another of Italy’s top luxury brands based in the area.

  According to legend, Ferruccio Lamborghini, the wealthy owner of a tractor factory, turned his hand to sports cars in the 1950s after complaining about the Ferraris he owned.

  Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari is said to have told him that if he did not like what he made, he should go and build his own.

  Ferrari’s Maranello site is located outside Modena, while the region also boasts Dallara, which provides cars for IndyCar racing in the US, and motorbike firm Energica.

  “The success dates a long way back, it is the fruit of several generations,” said Andrea Corsini, who handles transport, infrastructure and tourism for the Emilia Romagna region.

  The name “Motor Valley” alludes to California’s Silicon Valley, where a grouping of tech companies drew talent and cash.

  Here, manufacturers found a ready skills base among farmers who, in the immediate aftermath of World War II, had to learn to repair their own machinery.

  Today, the area comprises 16,000 companies, four racing tracks and six training centers, and employs more than 90,000 people, data compiled by think tank Riparte l’Italia showed.

  “In terms of job opportunities and contacts with companies, this is the best place to be,” said 24-year-old Emilio, who is studying vehicle engineering in the south of Italy and who came to Modena for the weekend.

  The sector records a turnover of 16 billion euros a year, of which 7 billion is in exports, and is in good health, with Bugatti Automobiles SAS, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley Motors Ltd and Porsche AG all posting record results last year.
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