Marcel Massini

Ok, let's give this new forum a shot and start with The Man Himself:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/velostrada/issues/200509/Ausbrooks_Massini.htm

There is something remarkable about the name “Ferrari.” Even without a powerful prewar legacy like those of Bugatti, Rolls Royce, Mercedes Benz, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Jaguar, the cars bearing Enzo Ferrari’s name have, in a relatively short span of time, developed one of the most diverse and wide-spread followings of any automotive marque. While all of these makes have their own devout followers, experts and historians, the immense society that has blossomed around the cars from Maranello is comprised of a surprisingly wide array of individuals from around the world, all of which have, at some point in their lives, become completely spellbound by the marque. As a result, Ferrari is one of the most studied and researched automotive subjects among historians and experts around the globe with an astounding number of books and articles written and published on the subject during the company’s short history.

Despite all of this available material, there is surprisingly still so much that remains unknown and the amount of inaccurate information that is already circulating in print is staggering. For these reasons, the world’s top restorers, collectors, dealers and auction houses often choose to consult with an expert when searching for historical information, photographs or documentation instead of relying on the plethora of readily available material. Whether looking to accurately establish the provenance of a particular car being bought or sold or to research the original appearance or configuration of one that is undergoing restoration, the first choice among those in the know is almost always world-renowned Ferrari expert and historian Marcel Massini.

Universally recognized as the top in his field, Massini’s time is divided between his research, consultant work and his positions as senior editor for the Ferrari Club of America’s Prancing Horse magazine as well as contributing editor to Cavallino and Scuderia magazines. While he has had material published in over 400 publications over the years and in magazines from England, Japan, Spain, the US, France, Germany and Switzerland, his very first Ferrari-related article was written when he was only 17 years of age and was published in an English Ferrari model club magazine. A chance encounter eleven years earlier had already set him on the course that he would continue to follow for over four decades.

Born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1957, Massini traces his ancestry and Italian heritage back over 200 years to the area surrounding Lake Como not far from Milan, Italy. As a boy growing up in a household without even a family car, he was understandably awestruck at the sight and sound of a black Ferrari 250 GTE spied while vacationing with his family in the Italian-speaking region of southern Switzerland at the age of 6. The exciting car from Maranello left its indelible mark on the little boy and he quickly became a die-hard Ferrari enthusiast, dedicating his free time to building model kits of the various cars.

As his model building skills increased, the desire for more accuracy led Massini to collect every Ferrari photo and automotive magazine that was available to him. When these materials weren’t enough, he would track down documents and attend as many automotive events as possible in order to see the cars in person. Eventually he came to realize that the research and detective work aspect had become much more fascinating than the construction of the models so he decided to sell off the models and keep the documents, photos and books instead. Today, that collection has grown into a remarkable database, photographic archive and reference library. Filled with literally thousands of files, documents and vintage prints, his database is one of the largest of its kind in the world.

While attending the Oldtimer Grand Prix in Germany in 1979, the then 22-year-old Massini had the opportunity to drive not one, but two 250 LMs, the unique “Stradale” (s/n 5995) of Mark Tippetts and the very last 250 LM produced (s/n 8165), belonging to legendary privateer racer David Piper. The Ferrari Legend: 250 GT Competition by French author and historian Jess G. Pourret had been published only two years prior and, with the 250 GTO being hailed as the ultimate 1960s Ferrari, he couldn’t help but think how underrated and underappreciated the LM was by comparison. The mid-engined cars had made a lasting impression.

“I was hooked,” Massini recalls. “On the way back home, I began thinking about collecting information about the 250 LMs. At that time, there were no 250 LM books around.” It was time for him to roll up his sleeves and get to work researching what would eventually become his first book.

In September of 1981, with the LM book still in progress, he attended a major Ferrari club meeting in Maranello. There he had the privilege of meeting the man whose cars he had dedicated so much time and effort into researching. Even though Enzo Ferrari was already in his 80s and appeared physically fragile, Massini couldn’t help but feel awestricken. “He had a special aura,” he remembers, “It was an audience with a king.”

Massini had the opportunity to meet with Ferrari a second time while attending a similar event in 1983 and, in that same year, he was able to put four years of painstaking research behind him as his first book, Ferrari 250 LM, was completed and published. He sent Ferrari a copy of the book for his library and was pleased to receive a nice letter of thanks and a copy of Ferrari’s own book, Piloti, Che Gente in return. Today, Massini’s book is still kept in the farmhouse at Ferrari’s Fiorano racetrack, where driver Michael Schumacher stays during testing. It is located in a second floor room from which Enzo used to watch the races on television.

Still exhausted from the Herculean effort put into the LM book, Massini turned his attention to the uniquely designed Ferraris bodied by Turinese coachbuilder Vignale. “I found the 155 Vignale-bodied Ferraris extremely interesting, each with a different body and no two cars identical,” he explains, “I’m an eye person and admire styling and design. I liked the Art Deco style of many Vignales.” After a full decade of intense research, his book Ferrari by Vignale was finally published in 1993 and, to this day, still stands as the definitive work on the subject.

Updates to both books are currently in the works, as is the new Ferrari 250 Mille Miglia. Before we see any of these, though, a long-awaited collaboration with Italian writer Angelo Tito Anselmi titled, Making the Difference: Coachbuilt Roadable Ferraris of 50's & 60's should become available this fall.

With such a large, world-wide Ferrari following and numerous publishers rapidly turning out new books on the subject, I asked Massini why he has been a less-than-prolific author with so few titles, especially considering his thirty-plus years of experience writing about Ferraris for various magazines. He responded that it was not his goal to publish as many books as possible. “I like to do niche books,” he said, “books no one else has done before, covering special areas.” With the current Massini “niche” books considered to be indispensable reference material by Ferrari historians the world over and, given the level of dedication that he lends to his research, the release of his latest offerings are eagerly awaited by the Ferrari community.

With so many Ferrari historians around the world, many of which have published more books and even maintain massive databases on the individual cars, Massini has managed to stay at the top of his game. Even when away from his home in Switzerland and not armed with his enormous library and endless database, his encyclopedic knowledge of all things Ferrari impresses even the most cognizant of his peers. Fellow Ferrari historian Alan Boe sums it up best, “In some endeavors in life it's tough to assess who's number one in their field, but when it comes to Ferrari and the histories of the cars from Maranello, there's a clear-cut number one . . . Marcel Massini.”

[All photos copyright Marcel Massini]
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