As things stand Sebastian Vettel leads the Formula 1 championship for Ferrari. It would seem also, in London at least, that Ferrari dealerships lead the way in getting people talking when it comes to their window displays. Of course, 'Ferrari Dealership has Ferrari on display' is no headline, however, the opportunity that arose on Monday night during H.R. Owen Ferrari's Atelier swap is certainly of interest.
For some time the London dealership has had its Ferrari SF15-T Formula 1 car proudly displayed overlooking Knightsbridge. But the chance to display something rather special presented itself and was too good to turn down. The LaFerrari Aperta is limited to only 200 customer cars, one of which became available for window shoppers and passers-by to enjoy. Time for some spring cleaning then!
You can probably see where this is going... In order to accommodate Aperta the 2015 F1 car had to come out. H.R. Owen has previous here, putting its F2001 replica 'on the road' earlier in the year. This time, however, moving the cars was a less public affair with a couple of discreet vans and a transporter with 'CARS' on the side meeting at midnight outside the showroom. A sense of what was going on quickly became apparent but onlookers were encouraged to move along - one social media post and half the car spotters in London would have been there in minutes.
Removing an F1 car and replacing it with a LaFerrari Aperta (as well as swapping a 488 GTB for a 512 BBi) is a delicate and stressful operation. The layout of the Atelier means that the windows have to be removed and cars lifted several feet in the air to be put in place, closing the road outside the premises in the process. Hence the secrecy.
I've seen a lot of things in my time roaming the streets of London in pursuit of all things automotive, however, a racing car and hypercar, each of the highest calibre, parked nose to tail just a minutes' walk from Hyde Park Corner, has to be one of the cooler things I've seen. The swap went without a hitch, and the stunning Giallo Triplo Strato Aperta is now on display for the next few months for all to admire.