Ferrari Cavalcade 2021

For Ferraristi, the Ferrari Cavalcade is the event of the year. For the brand’s most loyal clients, it is a week of adventures at the wheel of their special horses, discovering the best roads and delicatesses Italy has to offer. For enthusiasts of the Cavallino Rampante, it is a chance to see and hear some of the rarest cars from the brand flying by on tight Italian roads. Italians love Ferrari. To them, it is a religion and a national pride. These are exactly the emotions you experience at the wheel of a Ferrari in Italy. People’s reactions are priceless, with thumbs up flying around and people shouting “Che bella!” while waving their hands. Each year, an event is organised by Ferrari for their newer models, and another for the historic cars, called the Cavalcade Classiche. Both events coincide this year, from the 4th to the 9th of September, on the island of Sicily. Some of the stops were common to both events, yet most of the routes were different. Exciting roads, exceptional locations, and new friendships and adventures were in the programme. Schaltkulisse accompanies a loyal client of ours along the Cavalcade Classiche, with his mesmerising Ferrari 330 America acquired from us earlier this year.

When we weren’t on the road, Taormina was our home. Most of the routes driven during the rally went along the east coast of Sicily: submerged by Ferraris from the 50s and 60s, we discovered the Strait of Messina, with its cliffs and turquoise waters, the splendid Nebrodi mountains, and finally the Etna Volcano, with landscapes straight out of a movie scenario (we were lucky to take some volcanic ash back to Munich with us). The lineup of historic Ferraris was a sight to behold: a 250 GT California SWB, a 250 GT Berlinetta SWB, a 275 GTB short-nose (which we sourced and sold to its new owner), and a few other rarities were present. The cars sang a symphony of V12s through the Italian towns. It was an intoxicating experience for all the senses.

The weather was not always on our side, with strong rains and hailstorms trying to interrupt the fun. This didn’t scare off the classics, though. Following us is a 166 MM Barchetta, piloted by two gentlemen who were heavy on the pedal, as should be. Suddenly, we are transported into the ambience of the Mille Miglia. We had two fantastic days in the 330 America, then the clutch said its adieux. Committing to long road trips at the wheel of a vintage car rarely goes as planned. In our case, we sat at the side of the road, still full of adrenaline from pushing the car to its limits. Unfortunately, fixing the clutch on a 330 America in the middle of Sicily at night was very challenging, and slowly but surely, our excitement turned into fatigue and distress. Sadly, we had to abandon our horse for the rest of the Cavalcade. It is the part of the classic car ownership experience we like the least, but we’re more than happy to sacrifice the comfort of a modern automobile, just to listen to the symphony of the quad exhaust pipes and smell the gasoline. RETTER IN DER NOT: to the rescue, the Ferrari SF90 Spider. A weapon of a machine, insanely quick, grips at every corner exit, no matter how heavy on the pedal you are. Pushing the car on the twisty mountain roads towards the Etna Volcano was fun. Very fun. It was a good opportunity to compare the 60s Ferrari to the modern Cavallino. A comparison which quickly turned into a philosophical question. Is a quicker car necessarily more fun than a slow one? In our case, we decided we still prefer the visceral experience of shifting through the gears of the 330 America.

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