This Ferrari ‘China Limited Edition’ is a one-off version of the limited-run of 12 599 GTBs produced recently by Ferrari specifically for the Chinese market. It was sold in Beijing, with part of the  selling price going to a sponsorship programme to fund internships at Ferrari for talented Chinese engineering students.

The car was decorated with Song Dynasty Ge kiln pottery pattens. For extra authenticity, the artist used a “cracked glaze”pattern, with raised ridges designed to simulate cracks in the surface of rare ancient porcelain. This represents an exclusive version, thanks to a very special exterior finish which draws inspiration from Ge Kiln porcelain of the Song Dynasty. Only a few hundred pieces of Ge Kiln porcelain exist today, all of which are naturally priceless treasures, so it’s a case of the rare being the inspiration for the rare.

“I am extremely honoured to be the first Chinese artist working with Ferrari. This work embodies my understanding of the essence of Chinese culture and the Ferrari brand,” said Lu.

The 40-year-old Lu is one of China’s most influential contemporary artists. His works have been collected in many museums around the world, including the Museum of the University of Cambridge, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, and the Singapore Art Museum.

The first Ferrari was sold in Beijing in 1993, when the first Chinese customer decided to get the car he had dreamt of since he was a child when he saw the picture of a Ferrari. The Company’s real commercial entry happened in 2004 with a joint venture and in a short time China became the second biggest market in the Asian-Pacific region with more than 200 cars sold in 2008, with a two-digit growth over a year with more than 500 owners and a dealership network in ten of the most important cities: Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dalian, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing and Nanjing.

Ferrari luxury car unit expects China to become one of its top five global markets in five years due to the growing ranks of wealthy Chinese, a senior company official said on Tuesday. China is currently among Ferrari’s top 10 markets.

The auction was held at Red Gate Gallery in Beijing. It was attended by Ferrari owners and collectors, as well as Ferrari Asia Pacific CEO Marco Mattiacci, artist Lu Hao, Professors Cen Zhangzhi of Tsinghua University Cen Zhangzhi and Bruno Pizzigoni from Politecnico di Milano University.

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