HOUSE OF CARS

See the very best of the motor valley on this full-day excursion from Bologna. Sports car lovers will learn all about the triumphs and revolutionary innovations of Italy’s iconic automotive brands, gain behind-the-scenes access to a factory and feel the thrill of driving a Ferrari.

Your chauffeur will pick you up at 8:00 AM at your accommodation and drive you to the Umberto Panini museum of vintage cars and motorcycles, where the most complete collection of Maserati vehicles in the world is on display. Strange as it may seem, the models are housed inside an organic cheese farm which has been producing Parmigiano Reggiano since the mid-1980s. Before admiring the extraordinary fleet, accompanied by a member of staff, you will have the opportunity to visit the dairy and ageing warehouse. Here, learn all about the age-old art of cheese making and get to know the strict rules that regulate the production of Italy’s king of cheeses. Believe it or not, Parmigiano Reggiano has delighted the palates of Italians for some eight hundred years. Its extraordinary fragrance, distinctive flavour and processing methods have hardly altered over the centuries, thanks to the skill of local cheese artisans and their efforts to preserve regional gastronomic traditions. As you will have the chance to see and savour, only this unique territory could reward us with such a tempting treat, born of an abundance of water, extensive grazing grounds and, most important of all, prime quality milk.

Now it’s time to admire the wondrous automobile collection featuring rare Maserati creations, including the A6GCS Berlinetta Pininfarina (of which only four models were ever made), and Tazio Nuvolari’s prize-winning 6C 34. Ducati motorcycles, vintage bicycles and tractors are also exhibited. You will have time to examine these masterpieces of engineering and design and find out how this peculiar collection was first assembled.

A short drive will then bring you to Maranello. Here, on a guided tour of the Ferrari Museum, you will get to know the history behind this famous sports car brand, from its founding in 1947, through the creative and engineering developments of the following decades, to the recent victories of its Formula One racing cars. You will also hear about the life of Ferrari’s creator, the automotive visionary Enzo Ferrari. Born in Modena in 1898, Mr Ferrari devoted his entire life to designing and building sports cars. He discovered his passion for racing at the age of 10, when his father took him to watch a competition at a motor racing circuit in Bologna. Rejected as an employee by FIAT, Enzo Ferrari did not admit defeat and ended up developing his very own racing cars which would become one of the world’s most sought after sports car brands, a symbol of luxury and affluence for generations of drivers.

On view are exclusive creations for track and road together with engines, trophies, photographs and memorabilia relating to the motor racing industry. The museum also hosts a Ferrari store selling official merchandise, including clothing for men, women and children, model cars, mugs and caps.

Next, slip into the driver’s seat of a Ferrari, buckle your belt and live your long-wished-for Italian dream. Following a technical briefing with an instructor, you will have the opportunity to test drive a Ferrari. Enjoy the riveting sensation of driving through the streets of Maranello behind the steering wheel of this epoch-making motorsport legend. Your instructor will sit next to you on the passenger seat throughout the test drive so as to ensure a safe, smooth experience.

After some free time for lunch at a traditional Emilian restaurant in the nearby town of Castelvetro di Modena, get ready for your encounter with the Raging Bull. Rejoin your driver and set off for the Lamborghini plant. The history of Lamborghini Automobili officially began in 1963 when audacious entrepreneur Ferruccio Lamborghini debuted at the Turin Motor Show with his ground-breaking 350 GTV. Since then the creations of this trend-setting manufacturer have been enthusing the world of super sports cars with their cutting-edge design and exquisite craftsmanship. Lamborghinis need to be instantly recognisable so Mr Lamborghini devised a simple but effective method to evaluate the impact his cars had on the public as he drove along: if people at the sides of the road did not turn around in astonishment and admiration, it meant the car was simply not attractive enough. He also had the idea of naming his models after breeds of fighting bulls – aggressive, dynamic and intrepid, just like his cars.

Car lovers will visit the original factory founded by Ferruccio in Sant’Agata Bolognese and find out how Lamborghini cars are made. A guided group tour will lead you across the assembly line of the Huracán, past the production line of the V12 engine and Aventador, right to the upholstery department. As you will have the chance to see, every single detail, from the chassis to the gearbox, from the suspensions to the leather seats, is forged with passion, finesse and the utmost precision. Once the tour is over, you may independently explore the museum, which features a small but amazing collection of vehicles, including the exclusive Asterion, the few-off Centenario and vintage models.

Relax on the return ride to your accommodation in Bologna after your magical motoring experience.