MOTOR VALLEY: A Visit To The Birthplace Of The Supercar
When I first sat down with my family at our Adelaide Hills dining table to ecstatically discuss our upcoming European holiday, my mind could only settle on the thought of one thing. Whilst other familial interests were focused on Italy’s famed culinary delights and esteemed fashion scene (I too wouldn’t mind a bruschetta and Armani coat), I couldn’t help but become embarrassingly-excited to visit one particular region: Emilia-Romagna.
Nestled in the picturesque countryside just north of the region’s capital of Bologna, the hills come alive with the sound of…motors.
This is the birthplace of the supercar. Where names that include Lamborghini, Ferrari and Pagani emerged and remain. Where some of the world’s most famed and notorious racetracks are carved into the landscape. This is Motor Valley. And this, is my adventures in car-lover’s paradise.
It was the morning I had been anticipating. Not for days, weeks or even months. For years. Years of laying awake at night admiring the Aventador poster pinned at the end of my childhood bed. Years of sitting on the loungeroom couch controlling a F40 in the virtual world of Forza. Years of hoping to one day see one of those mythical Pagani’s. I had dreamed of visiting the fabled Motor Valley throughout my childhood. And today, this dream became a reality.
DAY ONE
We woke early and stumbled our way down into the hotel’s foyer. After a brief exchange with the reception staff, we asked to call for a taxi. In typical Italian fashion, this was non è possibile; the country’s public transport system had gone on strike in its entirety. No buses. No trains. And no taxis.
Not a great start.
But after a few frantic messages to my well-connected friends back home, a lovely gentleman named Giovanni arrived at the hotel’s doors in a E63 AMG Wagon. Tidy.
After a 200km/h, one-handed highway run, we had arrived at the first stop on our visit to Motor Valley: Museo Lamborghini.
MUSEO LAMBORGHINI
The famed glass facade and cursive logo crowned atop the roof welcomed us as we braved the brisk walk from Giovanni’s car to the front doors. After immersing ourselves in the many information boards present around the museum’s reception, we crept into the lower level of the museum. In here, Ferrucio’s classic creations were laid out, dating back to the 350 GT and stunning Muira, alongside the wedge-like Countach and unbelievably-cool LM002 off-roader.
After taking our time to admire the beauty found in the classics, we prepared ourselves for the beasts that lurked above. We took a deep breath and made our way up the staircase, which spiraled its way up before presenting the greatest Lamborghini’s ever produced.
Tucked against the closest corner lay the Reventon - the fighter-jet-inspired limited model based on the Murcielago. What a thing it was, clad in a stealthy shade of satin grey which accentuated every angle. Next to it? The Sesto Elemento. One of the most elusive vehicles ever made, the Sesto Elemento is a track-only freak of nature with such illusory nature that the exact number of units made is not known.
However, it was made to seem rather tame when next to the Veneno - an extremely-limited Lambo that was based off the Aventador and fueled by the stuff of nightmares.
But its neighbour? I was flooded with an overwhelming sense of childhood nostalgia as I lay eyes on the Lamborghini Centenario in person for the first time - the cover car of Forza Horizon 3. I spent countless hours playing FH3 growing up, and it certainly made a lasting impact on my automotive passion. What an experience to be in the same room as the mighty Centenario.
Further down the line was the Sian. I had never had a great deal of interest in this one, and the spec certainly didn’t help its case. But the Countach next to it? A whole different story. It was perfect. Clean in all its details; the perfect homage to the original.
The other side of the room was inhabited by a stunning Diablo GT, Gallardo Squadra Corse, Murcielago SV, Huracan Performante, Urus, and a battle-scarred, Daytona-winning Huracan GT3.
After taking a couple of hours to soak in the room’s contents, we made our way back downstairs and into the giftshop for our obligatory souvenirs. For myself? A Lamborghini polo shirt, and a Super Trofeo polo for my brother who was lucky enough to spend his birthday in Italy. As we waited for Giovanni to return, we posed and snapped some generic tourist photos outside the building, despite it being in the single digits of temperature.
HORACIO PAGANI MUSEO
Whilst the morning spent at Museo Lamborghini had been wonderful, the afternoon’s expedition to the Horacio Pagani Museo was a moment that had been immensely anticipated.
After dropping the rest of my family back in Bologna to continue with their Italian shopping, I hopped into another blacked-out Mercedes, this time driven by Alessandro. The drive was about 30 minutes, and took us into the working-class, industrial area of the region, before halting at the doors of the famous Pagani factory.
Here I was, facing motoring’s most esteemed art gallery. Before this day, I had only ever came across one Pagani in my entire life - a Utopia that appeared at 2024’s Adelaide Motorsport Festival. Was I prepared for what was about to come next? Absolutely not.
As I stepped into the reception area and signed in, I was greeted by the Zonda HP Barchetta - a one-of-one, open-top Zonda made to celebrate Horacio Pagani’s 60th Birthday. While I waited for my designated museum and factory tour to begin, I spent some time admiring the presence of the HP. There is nothing quite like a Pagani - everything is handmade to perfection, sculpted into moving artworks.
As the tour begun, we moved into the cinema room, where a short documentary on Horacio’s story was presented. But as the next door opened and the bright lights engulfed the dark cinema, it was impossible to comprehend how anyone could properly evaluate the insurance costs of this building. The museum section in front held a line of 7 models, of varying rarity and value.
You are first met by the Zonda La Nonna - the oldest Zonda which was used as a test dummy for every Zonda evolution thereafter, managing to rack up 1,000,000 kilometres in the process. You read that right - a Zonda with one million kilometres. And it still looks as beautiful as the day it left the production line, thanks to an extensive restoration to surprise Horacio for his 60th.
Besides the La Nonna is the Zonda F, specced in a beautiful orange which really pops under the lights. Further along the line is one of the most impressive cars in the collection - the Zonda Cinque Roadster. Only five Cinque Roadsters were ever made, and this one was the fifth and final to leave the production line. This is a truly priceless machine, and has always been a poster car of mine.
While the Zonda Cinque Roadster is notoriously brutal, what sat next to it simply blew it out of the water. The most absurd Pagani ever made, the Zonda Revo Barchetta is a one-off, track focused blend of the Zonda R and HP Barchetta, made for Horacio himself. Simply ridiculous, it hurt to even look at how sharp its many angles were. Quite possibly the most impractical and ludicrous car in existence - but that’s what makes it so bloody cool. It made it’s neighbour, the Huayra BC, looks quite well-behaved in comparison, which is a near-impossible feat. The more-modern pair at the end of the line; the Huaya BC and one-of-five Huayra Imola faced off against the red Huayra Coupe which sat on the other side of the path.
After the tour migrated through the museum, we were instructed to place all cameras, phones and devices into secure lockers, before we were approved to enter the factory. After the risk of photographic documentation was removed, I made my way into the ‘final checks’ area, where multiple complete Utopia’s was being looked over under lights. These were brilliant looking cars, all with varying specs. One particularly-bright example was clad in yellow and blue, in homage to kit of the Modena FC ‘Canaries’.
Further into the factory saw all stages of the production line - from engine building through to leather stitching. Upstairs saw a room full of ‘Nonna’s’ layering carbon fibre in to molds, like the wingmirror that we had the pleasure of holding. I found it so intriguing to go behind the scenes and see how these masterpieces were created. It felt like a family tradition, with all workers contributing and having their personal touch go into each and every car.
The service centre held every variant of Pagani you could think of. Multiple Codalunga’s, Huayra R Evo Roadsters, Zonda Rs, Utopias, Huayra Roadsters and more. I felt like a kid in a candy shop - atleast 30 models were sat back here in the factory. Keep in mind I had only laid eyes on a singular Utopia before this day!
As the tour came to an end I spent some more time admiring the museum’s lineup, before making my way into the gift shop. I purchased two t-shirts, two caps and a lanyard, all for a surprisingly-reasonable price.
DAY TWO
Luckily, the start of a new day meant the end of the public transport strike. Unluckily, Italian Taxi’s are somehow even pricier than private drivers when travelling on highways.
Nonetheless, we started our day with a journey to Museo Ferrari, which is situated next to the Ferrari Production Site in Maranello, about 45 minutes from Bologna.
MUSEO FERRARI
Ferrari’s home town of Maranello is exactly how you would imagine. Streets are lined in Rosso Corsa and Prancing Horse emblems are seen on every corner. We were dropped out the front of Museo Ferrari - which was busier than the previous day’s visits to both Lamborghini and Pagani. After lining up to get in, we started to make our way through the maze-like museum.
The first room was filled with the icons - a yellow F50, red F40 and red 288 GTO, alongside a stunning and priceless 250 LM. The lighting was dramatic and atmospheric - the cars were the pure and sole subjects in this museum. The bright paints popped under lights and stood out against the dark backdrops.
The next room progressed with the display of lineage. On show was the Enzo, a beautiful LaFerrari alongside the all-new SF90 XX; the first we had ever seen. Whilst the other two icons were outstanding in their own right, the XX stood out to me as the most interesting and exciting. The design was bounds ahead of the SF90 on which it was based, however it is hard to decide whether this deserves the god-like XX badge. This room’s lighting accentuated the subject’s lines, with LED rods against the wall with information boards available on all corners.
Entering the next hallway brings you to the J50, a one-of-ten limited edition model made to celebrate half a century of Ferrari in Japan. This room was really quite dark - atmospheric but near impossible to take quality photographs in. Likewise, the following room was dimly lit, however was rectified by it’s star inhabitants. Taking centre stage was the Mille Miglia entrant 166 MM, alongside the curvaceous 315 S.
Through the next door saw you entering the famous curve of F1’s. The wall of red open wheelers presented the evolution of the sport before you, with Ferrari’s trophy winning history also on show in the enormous display cabinet.
Into the final room, Ferrari’s wider track dominance was laid out. The ominous, battle-damaged 499P which claimed victory at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans. Pretty epic thing to see in the flesh. In the same room were a 125 S - the first Ferrari ever made, alongside a rare 166 MM Berlinetta Vignale, 268 SP, race-going Daytona Competizione and SF71-H Formula One.
Whilst the classic race cars were brilliant to see, the overall museum layout, lighting and size were slightly disappointing, especially considering entry prices and location. The gift shop, while large, was extremely expensive - I only purchased two models.
MUSEO ENZO FERRARI
Taking another taxi from Maranello to the Museo Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena allowed us to take a second to compose ourselves on the 30 minute journey. We arrived at the unfastidious entryway and made our way down the long path towards the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari. A beautiful, terracotta-style building, the Officina Meccanica Alfredo Ferrari was the workshop of Enzo’s Father, and has since been restored and converted into a section of the museum dedicated to the family’s heritage and focus on engines.
We wandered around the warm, sun-lit floors of the workshop, where a Schumacher F1, 612 Scaglietti and SF90 Fiorano shone in the picturesque rays of sun. Tucked away in a corner of the building is Enzo Ferrari’s personal office, which inflicted heartfelt feelings around the grandeur of such a legacy.
As we made our way through the Engine Museum and outside into the courtyard, we were met with the futuristic, glass-walled and yellow roofed modern museum, where some of the greatest Ferraris in existence were held.
This wasn’t a car museum. This was an art gallery, dedicated to the beauty of the brand through mesmerising architecture and curation. The building was vast - one singular room with segregated levelling and the soft, angelic tone of Andrea Bocelli in the air. The cars, whilst breathtaking, were only a minor component of this place.
The vehicles on display were equally as diverse as they were stunning. As you entered, you were introduced to a Tailor Made ‘Sketch’ 812 Competitizione, alongside another beautiful 166 MM. The expansive balcony overlooked the well-positioned cars below; a somewhat over worldly view.
On the other side of the separator was a simply stunning British Racing Green 250 SWB; quite possibly the most stunning car we had seen all trip, with a price tag to match. Next to it? The beautiful 750 Monza, 330 GTC and 296 GTS. The juxtaposition between new and old exposed how the brand has evolved over time whilst holding on to the traditional customs they hold so dearly.
Down the ramp and onto the bottom level revealed some truly bonkers machines. The Ferrari Testarossa Spider was first up. This was the only officially-commissioned Spider version ever made of the beloved Testarossa, built to commemorate Gianni Agnelli’s 20th year as Chairman of Fiat in 1986. The rarity and pure-cool factor of the Testarossa Spider made it one of my true favourites, without mentioning the flawless silver spec.
On centre stage was the P80/C, another one-off that was created by Ferrari's Special Projects division as a track-only beast. What a thing this was.
Like the P80/C, the KC23 is a one-off track model produced by the Special Projects division, and was instantly recognisable due to its mirrored, brutalist design. Behind the three one-off machines were a pair of windscreen-less exotics, namely the SP1 and SP2. Both in unique specs - the one seater in a matte bronze and the dual with a deep tone of red, the duo glowed under the architectural marvel of a building. Alongside them sat an equally-great F12 TDF. Very nice indeed.
Out back sat a SF90 Spider which you could get your photograph taken in, and the World Championship-winning Michael Schumacher F2004 F1 sat by the configurator.
OverView
Whether you have a slight interest in F1, or you’re a diehard supercar enthusiast, visiting Motor Valley is a must for anyone travelling in Italy. Whilst we just focused on the region’s major museums, there is plenty more to see and do, and can be done so in an efficient and effective way. Our two days spent visiting the four museums gave us enough time to properly soak in and appreciate the displays, however could quite easily be tightened if you were not keen on spending hours at each location.
Whilst each museum had their own benefits, we believe there were two clear standouts.
For the full-on car-nerd and enthusiast, the Horacio Pagani Museo and Factory Tour is the perfect choice. With an informative but entertaining tour, and some truly unbelievable cars on display, visiting the Horacio Pagani Museo was a truly unforgettable experience.
However, if you are visiting Motor Valley as an excited but less-obsessed car fan, then the Enzo Ferrari Museo is certainly the right choice. With beautiful tributes to the life of Enzo, a showcase of the rarest cars on Earth, and stunning architecture to match, this museum is severely underrated.
Tips
Visit in the winter. Much smaller crowds and the chilly light makes for amazing photos.
Plan your transport. You never know when a strike will happen….and it’s expensive and stressful if it does! Be prepared.
Pagani has the cheapest merchandise…surprising considering the brand’s status.
