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| HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal at the Official Ferrari Opus Launch ( Photos courtesy of Creative House SA) |
The word ‘Ferrari’ often conjures up images of prancing
horses and red-hot, super-fast luxury cars that come with a jet-set lifestyle
and a hefty price tag. Other common associations are lavish glamour, sumptuous
jewelry and regal affiliations. It is no surprise therefore, that the launch of
the “Official Ferrari Opus” in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia involved luxury
retailer Harvey Nichols, HRH Prince Turki Bin Faisal Al Saud, and the unveiling
of a 30-carat diamond encrusted special Enzo Edition of the Opus, that will
sell for a staggering $ 250,000.
What
would motivate a person to purchase an 852-page book that weighs 37 kilos
(82lb) and measures 50 cm by 50 cm that has a diamond Ferrari stallion sheathed
on the cover you may ask? Well, aside from the fact that this edition is
strictly limited to one copy per country, with only 20 copies published
worldwide, making it highly exclusive and a collector’s item, the individual
who buys this version of the book also gets an “Opus for life Bond”. “That
means that they will receive 1 copy of every Opus book ever published for life”
Karl Fowler, Chief Executive of Opus, explains.
Is
that enough? It appears so given the astonishing number of fans Ferrari has
acquired not only in Saudi Arabia, but worldwide. “There is a mystique, a heritage
and a passion that is intrinsic to the Ferrari brand” clarifies Mr. Fowler,
which is essential for a good story. “This opus started 5 years ago, the photo
research taking 2 years alone, with our team looking at 4 million images of
which 2,000 were hand selected to go in to the opus. In addition, 50% of the content has never been seen before,”
adds Mr. Fowler, making this book a Ferrari fans dream.
For
the signing of the first ever copy of the Ferrari Opus, HRH Prince Turki Bin
Faisal Al Saud was assigned the honorable role. “Mr. Karl Fowler proposed that
I be involved in this event, given our association in making the ‘The Official
Journey To Makkah Opus’ in which King Faisal Center helped produce a film,”
states his highness, which will be launched in Riyadh in the latter part of
2012. The first copy of the Ferrari Opus has already visited 16 countries prior
to Riyadh, and will be touring another 8 before its eventual auction in the
Ferrari motherland of Maranello, Italy. Having already bore the signatures of
Mr. Warren Buffet, Mr. Steve Wynn, Ferrari President Mr. Luca Di Montezemollo
and the current Ferrari Formula 1 drivers Fernando Alonzo and Felipe Massa, as
well as several other Ferrari world champions, HRH Prince Turki’s signature is
sure to add majestic value to the book. “The purpose of this exercise is the
auction of Copy 1 at the end of the year in Maranello, the proceeds of which go
to charity,” HRH Prince Turki elucidates. With a reserve bid of $1.2 million
for the Ferrari Opus first copy, it appears that the opus sale will prove to be
highly humanitarian in its results. “The Manchester United Opus was sold at
$1.6 million at auction and we think we can surpass that with this Ferrari
Opus,” intones Mr. Fowler.
“I
think there is still something special about a still photograph that can
capture the emotion of a moment,” Mr. Fowler states languidly. And with two meter long gatefold images
included within the opus to gaze at, and only 5,000 copies printed and
available globally, there is only a small opportunity to see these private
‘captured emotions’ of Ferrari’s legendary history for yourself.
To purchase a copy of the Ferrari Opus, they will be
available for sale for 1-month at Harvey Nichols Riyadh or for more information
please visit the Facebook Link Harveynicholsriyadh or
log onto www.ferrariopus.com
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