Ferrari has been struggling in the Formula 1 Grand Prix lately, but at the brand of Ferrari is one that can withstand quite a few more knocks. In fact, Ferrari is at work to help create "Motor Valley", a tourist attraction which highlights the various motor sports activities in the area around Modena, according to Antonio Ghini, Ferrari's director of communications and brand management.
Speaking at a tourism conference in the Italian capital, Ghini said Ferrari would soon build a new museum and study center at the house in Modena where Enzo Ferrari was born and hoped that this would be the first new attraction for the much bigger future project. The Motor Valley is still in its planning stages, he told the conference, and "right now we are focusing on the economic side. However, so far we have only come up with about 25% of what we need and that's not enough. What we need are some more sponsors, but they appear to be a dying breed." In explaining why the area could attract tourists, Ghini pointed out how Ferrari's headquarters in the Modena suburb of Maranello attracts some 200,000 tourists a year. The area set to become Motor Valley is between Modena and Imola which aside from Ferrari is also home to such companies as De Tomaso, Lamborghini, Maserati, Minardi and Ducati, as well as garages specialised in the restoration of vintage cars, motorbike and engines. It also hosts a number of museums and private collections and the Imola Motor Racing Circuit.
Once it becomes a reality, Motor Valley organizers, who include the Modena Chamber of Commerce, hope to arrange guided itineraries to all these places, while packages will be offered to the main motor racing events: Formula 1, Superbike and the major motorcycle championships, including MotoGP, at the Imola track.
