Ferrari to auction cars to raise money for Italy quake victims

The Italian supercar maker announced on Thursday that the company will be hosting an auction to aid those affected by the earthquake in Italy. The auction will be held online through, Ferraristore.com, and will offer range of products including F1 merchandises like racing helmets and suits used by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.  But there are also a few really expensive goods on this list including a V8 engine from the Scuderia Ferrari F1 car and even bigger is the 599XX Evo track spec car, which is estimated to cost around USD 1.6 million. 

Of course, lot of these products are expected to get a lot more than their shelf value and all for a good cause. “At the beginning of next week we’ll hold a big global auction via the internet, even putting cars up for grabs to help the families of victims that were for the most part labourers,” said Ferrari chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo.

A press release from Ferrari stated: "As soon as news about the earthquakes came out, Ferrari clients and collectors from around the world spontaneously contacted the Maranello headquarters to offer their contributions. Once again the generosity of Ferrari's enthusiasts will enable the company to provide support to those most hit by the tragedy." 

Ferrari along with other automakers in the region like Lamborghini and Maserati suspended operations post May 20, as the region was ravaged by successive quakes. The companies also sent their employees on leave to be with their families. The two massive earthquakes have left 23 dead and thousands other homeless in Italy.

This is not the first time that Ferrari has offered help in times of calamities. Earlier Ferrari had launched a special edition F430 to help people in Abruzzo and also contributed over USD 1 million last year to build two after-school facilities in Japan, which was struck by devastating tsunami.