2000 Ferrari 550 Maranello~recent Major Service~power Daytona's~like 575 01 02 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Hot Wheels loses Ferrari diecast contract to Chinese company

If you're anything like this writer, chances are you've got a diecast model or two kicking around the house. And if one of those models replicates a Ferrari, chances are it's made by Hot Wheels. The Mattel brand secured an exclusive contract from the Maranello automaker in the late 1990s, but the latest word from Hemmings has it that Ferrari has ended its partnership with Hot Wheels and awarded it instead to the May Cheong Group. Unless you're an avid diecast collector, you may not have heard of May Cheong, but you may have heard of its brands Maisto and Bburago. Both brands are longtime players in the model car market, but it's the Bburago part of the deal that's particularly interesting. Founded in Italy, Bburago made a name for itself largely due to the scale Ferrari models it made back in the day. But when the Prancing Horse marque awarded the exclusive contract to Mattel, and with increasing competition from the Far East, Bburago collapsed. May Cheong swept in and scooped it up, and now the Italian model brand, along with its onetime rival Maisto, will be producing diecast Ferraris once again. Whether Bburago will use any of its old tooling to resume production of Ferrari scale models or start from scratch with all-new equipment remains to be seen, as does the matter of whether either it or Maisto will be able to produce the same quality of models as Hot Wheels has with some of its higher-end offerings. Like most collectors, this writer's looking forward to finding out. Looks like it's time to buy another display case.

The V10 from Schumacher's and Barrichello's Ferrari F2002 is for sale

Between November 22 and December 2, 2019, RM Sotheby's is holding an online-only auction of Formula 1 memorabilia. It heavily focuses on the early '80s, early '90s, and early '00s and includes a wide variety of items from toy models to race-used car parts. One of the key drivers during this period was Michael Schumacher, and the number of related collectibles reflects that. One of the golden eggs of the auction is a Ferrari F2002 Tipo 051/B/C V10 Engine from 2002.  The Ferrari F2002 is a legendary racecar with a stellar record on the track. In 2002, with Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello driving, the F2002 won 15 of 17 races, including nine one-two finishes. Ferrari and Schumacher claimed the Constructors’ Title and Driver's Championship with ease, and the force behind those victories was the Tipo 051/B/C V10.  The Paolo Martinelli-designed engine is a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter that is rated at 835 horsepower at a mind-bending 17,800 rpm. Sotheby's points out the engine was not as high-powered as some of its competitors, but the lightweight design and placement allowed the car to flourish. As of this writing on the auction's opening day, the top bid is at $2,000, but Sotheby's is expecting it to bring $50,000 to $70,000. Interestingly enough, that's well below Ferrari's $90,000 direct price. Yes, Ferrari is offering this engine, too, and it's available for pre-order. So that leaves a decision: save money and go through a third party or buy straight from the source. 

Ferrari hybrids, SUV are in the plan to double earnings by 2022

Italian carmaker aims for core earnings of 2 bln euros by 2022 CEO Marchionne does not rule out smaller engines in the future If true electric supercar is ever made, it will be a Ferrari - CEO Shares rise more than 8 percent after mid-term targets released MILAN — Ferrari is looking to double core earnings to 2 billion euros ($2.5 billion) by no later than 2022 and become debt free a year earlier, betting on firm demand for supercars and new launches, including hybrids and an SUV. CEO Sergio Marchionne does not expect to double deliveries, but aims to keep pushing technological boundaries, launch new special editions and expand a customisation program to drive profit margins, which stood at 30 percent last year. Ferrari is also expanding its product range to vehicles that appeal to a larger demographic. Hybrids will be part of the portfolio from 2019, and an SUV is expected to be launched by late 2020. Downsizing engines was a possibility in future as long as Ferrari's uniqueness is preserved, Marchionne said. "We are absolutely convinced that these numbers are doable," Marchionne told analysts on a conference call, adding that profit margins could rise to at least 36 percent by 2022. "The house is firing on all cylinders, we are in a good place." The Italian group's medium-term outlook helped push its shares up more than 8 percent at one point on Thursday. They closed 7.5 percent higher at 103.2 euros. Ferrari's forecast suggests an average annual core earnings growth of 14.1 percent, or 17.9 percent, if it achieves the target a year early, said George Galliers, an analyst at Evercore ISI. "This type of earnings growth is unlikely to be seen by any other automotive OEM over the coming five years," Galliers said. However, he said the stock was not cheap and it remained to be seen if projected growth would be enough to attract investors over the coming months. After being spun off from Fiat Chrysler two years ago, Ferrari has sought to show it can increase profits without the backing of its parent. The group has clocked up several years of record earnings, helped by a number of special edition models. Ferrari reported on Thursday an 18 percent rise in 2017 adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) to 1.04 billion euros, in line with analysts' expectations and helped by sales of its 12-cylinder models. They include the GTC4Lusso and the 812 Superfast, the company's most powerful model to date.