Our passion for classic cars is rarely confined to the road itself. If you’re anything like us, it’s a ‘fever’ pervades your everyday lives. Fortunately, the Classic arm of Ronnie Kessel’s automotive empire in Lugano recognises this and has created a plethora of Ferrari-inspired art installations that belong not in your garage but in your home.
Using the exact same materials and techniques required by its world-class four-wheeled restorations, these sculptures – which vary in size and function – are painstakingly crafted by Kessel’s experienced craftsmen. We first encountered the fabulous pieces when we visited Ronnie in the summer of 2018 to shoot the one-off Ferrari SP38 Deborah.
In the corner of his Ferrari showroom’s plush client reception area was a life-size replica of the famous ‘shark’ nose of the Ferrari 156 Formula 1 car, which doubles as the world’s most beautiful champagne bucket. And mounted on the opposite wall was a sculpture of a Ferrari 275 GTS’s snout, complete with headlight lenses, signature egg-crate grille and, of course, the Cavallino Rampante.
During our tour of Kessel’s wonderful Classic department, which was filled with classic Ferraris of all shapes and eras, Ronnie showed us how these eye-catching, conversation-starting sculptures are born. Wooden bucks are built from original Ferrari drawings, before raw aluminium is hand-beaten and lovingly shaped over them. It’s a fantastic way of transferring traditional skills, which must be preserved and passed down the generations, to an altogether different world.
Of course, Kessel Art’s sculptures can be commissioned and built to your exacting brief, but we’re delighted that a small selection of the magnificent pieces can be found listed for sale in the Classic Driver Market.
