2024 Ferrari Cruise-In at the Petersen Automotive Museum: Excellence Multi-Color Vision!
Annual Ferrari Cruise-In at the Petersen Automotive Museum has grown into one of the largest Ferrari gatherings on the west coast.
The annual Ferrari Cruise-In at the Petersen Automotive Museum was held on Sunday, February 25. The event is a collaboration between the museum and the Southwest Region of the Ferrari Club of America. We were there this year, because what better way to spend a Sunday morning than by looking at dozens of incredible Ferrari automobiles? Even in Los Angeles, seeing a Ferrari is a special moment. Seeing rows of them is an almost unbelievable sight. What is nearly as unbelievable is the fact that not all of them are painted red. Sure the vast majority were coated in Rosso Corsa paint, but there were plenty of examples in other colors as well.
What was more impressive than the different colors on display at the Ferrari Cruise-In was the number of different models on display. There were newer models such as the F8 Tributo, 488 Pista and 812 Superfast. But there were older models as well such as the 308 GTS and the iconic F40. There was even an extremely rare Ferrari 575 GTZ by Zagato on display.
It was a sea of Italian awesomeness. And the best part is there is no fee to attend. If you wanted to show your own Ferrari, you could do that for $40 and that includes admission into the museum.
F40
There were so many incredible cars at the 2024 Ferrari Cruise-In that it is hard to pick favorites. But there were a couple cars that stood out to us. One was the fabulous F40. The F40 is widely regarded as the greatest supercar ever made. The car was built to celebrate Ferrari’s 40th anniversary.
About 1,300 examples were produced between 1987 and 1992. The F40 was built for simple, raw speed. Luxury was not part of the equation. There is no leather dash or heated seats. In fact, there is not even any carpet in the F40. The 2.9L twin-turbo puts out roughly 480 horsepower and it is all controlled by the driver without a host of electronic nannys. Examples today sell for between $1 million and $2 million dollars.
575 GTZ by Zagato
The 575 GTZ by Zagato was another unexpected surprise at the show. Japanese collector Yushiyuki Hayashi commissioned the project from Zagato. He wanted a Ferrari 575 Maranello Berlinetta as a platform. But wanted the car design to be inspired by the 250 GT LWB Berlinetta Zagato ‘Tour De France’ from the late 1950s. Zagato was up to the task and built two stunning cars for Hayashi.
They went on to build four more for other customers. Only six examples were ever created in total and no two are alike as they were built to the specifications of the original buyer. Today these cars are worth a couple million dollars and this stunning example was on display at the Ferrari Cruise-In. And it wasn’t red!
All Ferraris
We highlighted two specific cars, but we could have highlighted dozens. There were 458s, F8s, Dinos, 328s, F430s, 612s, 360s, and many more. It may not be worth anything close to the F40 or 575 GTZ but one of my personal favorites at the show was a 599 GTB painted in Grigio Silverstone.
The 599 GTB tends to be forgotten between the 575 and F12. But with classic good looks and an Enzo-derived V12 it is one of the best modern Ferrari models out there. And if you can consider any Ferrari a bargain, the 599 GTB might be it.
The Ferrari Cruise-In at the Petersen Automotive Museum was a huge success, and we are already looking forward to the 2025 edition. If you are a member of the Tifosi we highly recommend you see it for yourself.
Photos: Derin Richardson
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