Paint Work Takes Inspiration From Song Dynasty Porcelain#
To build greater brand equity and strike a chord in the Chinese market, many companies have been known to create limited-edition "China only" versions of their products inspired by Chinese culture or history. Today, Ferrari announced its collaboration with the Chinese contemporary artist Lu Hao -- "well known for his models of Beijing, his playfulness with architecture and geographical images in rapidly evolving modern China" (ArtZine) -- on a one-of-a-kind China edition of the 599 GTB Fiorano (the regular model will be limited to a run of about 12 in China). The one-off edition by Lu will be auctioned off at a charity function in Beijing later this month.
Lu's Ferrari features a unique trompe-l'œil paint job incorporating the faint green hue and distinctive cracked pattern of Ge Kiln porcelain from China's Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279), but some of the most fascinating elements of the "China" edition are in the car's interior. From Auto Express:
The ignition button is carved from jade and insribed with the ancient Xiao Zhuan symbols for 'engine start', while other novel additions include a rev-counter marked with Chinese characters, a matching luggage set embroided with the route of the silk road - traditionally the most important trade routes in China - and an engraved plaque unique to each car.