Some people collect fine art. Others collect race-winning pistons that once screamed at 19,000 rpm. Guess which group has more fun? I’m betting on the latter. It’s a far more hands-on way to show your love for motorsport—short of parking a retired F1 car in your living room or using a supercar as a room divider.
Ferrari, a marque synonymous with high-performance, very expensive cars, has recently turned automaking into a language of art. And now, at the recent Milan Design Week, they’ve gone full museum mode with Ferrari Collectibles: a lineup of exquisitely presented, once-functional components reborn as objets d’art. Forget coffee table books—Ferrari wants you to drop an actual V10 engine block in your living room and call it design.
Art, with Horsepower
This isn’t just any memorabilia. These pieces have stories. Take the Tipo 048B Formula One engine: a 3.0-litre (183 cu in) naturally aspirated V10 that revved to 16,300 rpm and powered Michael Schumacher, Eddie Irvine, and Mika Salo to the 1999 Constructors’ title. It made 790 CV (about 780 hp), which is to say, it made history.
Or the LaFerrari prototype V12, a 6.3-litre (384 cu in) beast paired with Ferrari’s F1-derived HY-KERS system. This hybrid heart delivered a combined 963 hp, and once lived in a development mule—meaning it’s not just rare, it’s unique. Want one? Hope you’re fast. And rich.
Sparks, Smoke, and Sculpture
There’s also a camshaft from the 2003 championship-winning F2003-GA, an exhaust from the 2009 F60 raced by Kimi Räikkönen, and a crankshaft from the F10 that helped Fernando Alonso make a dramatic debut in 2010. These aren’t replicas—they’re the real, oil-stained, high-revving things that once lived inside machines tearing down straights at 300 km/h (186 mph).
Even the smaller bits carry weight. A carbon fibre brake disc from the SF71H. A piston from Schumacher’s all-conquering F2002. A conrod from the 2000 title-winning F1-2000. Pieces that once rotated, exploded, and braked their way into the record books are now reimagined as elegant, minimalist sculptures.
Born for Speed, Reborn for Beauty
Ferrari’s design team hasn’t just plopped old parts onto a pedestal. They’ve gone full design week—think floating elements, transparent housings, and a heavy dose of architectural minimalism. The result? Something that looks right at home in a gallery, but still smells a little like burnt rubber if you lean in close enough.
No prices listed yet, but let’s be honest—you’re not buying a piston from the F2002 for pocket change. You’re buying history, horsepower, and a seat at a very exclusive table. One with a crankshaft centerpiece.
Images: Ferrari.
