Ferrari and Vertu have collaborated to create a one-of-a-kind cellphone commemorating Ferrari’s 60th anniversary.
By Sara Neff
“Ferrari and Vertu share a common commitment to the highest standards of design, engineering, and performance.”
For the past 60 years, Enzo Ferrari has changed the way the world sees the sports car. Identified as being luxurious, sleek, and strong, the Ferrari GT cars are some of the most innovative and high-level performance in the dynamic automobile industry. From the prancing horse emblem to their traditional yellow and red colors, Ferrari is a world-renowned brand.
2007 has seen Ferrari’s 60th anniversary celebrated in many different ways. From a collaboration with legendary Italian watchmaker Officine Panerai to the release of 60 exclusive Limited Edition Scaglietti 612 Gran Turismo cars, the famed Marinello House knows how to celebrate in haute form. However, the celebrating doesn’t end there. In honor of the anniversary, the Italian carmaker is taking on a whole new domain: the mobile phone. Ferrari has paired with Vertu, the leading manufacturer of handcrafted cells, to launch a limited-edition phone that embodies the style and class of the two companies.
In July, the Vertu Ascent Ferrari 1947 Limited Edition phone was made available to buyers for $7,500. Rest assured, with Ferrari and Vertu collaborating on its design, this phone is anything but ordinary. The commitment put into the phone surpasses all others. Frank Nuovo, Vertu’s principal designer, explains, “This vision has been developed further using the high-grade materials, design detail, technical superiority, and unsurpassed performance associated with the luxury sports car industry. The result is a highly crafted handset of precision, balance, and strength.”
All Vertu phones are assembled by hand at the company’s headquarters in England. Resembling the sleek design of the Ferrari GT cars, hand-polished titanium was used for Ascent’s chassis. Encased in red and black Ferrari leather with black lacquer stripes running down the sides, it features the iconic signature prancing horse on the front of the phone’s bezel nose, while a scaled down Ferrari brake pedal, crafted from high-graded aluminum, graces the back plate.
Marking the delicate balance of form and function, the Vertu Ascent has been crafted with the same precision and care that is given to the assembly of a Ferrari. “Ferrari and Vertu share a common commitment to the highest standards of design, engineering, and performance,” said Vertu President Alberto Torres. Their shared commitment is evident in the phone’s performance and technical superiority.
The features of the Vertu Ascent Ferrari 1947 Limited Edition are endless. The phone is complete with unique “Vertu Fortress” technology, which offers a remote synchronization of contacts and calendar, and backs up all stored data to a high security server maintained in an ex-military bunker at a secure location in the English countryside.
And the features don’t stop there. Not only is it a quad band, 3G handset, complete with a 3 megapixel flash VGA camera, it is equipped with a special lifestyle assistance feature-at the push of a button, the owner of this phone is connected with the Vertu concierge service. At all times of day, the concierge is able to answer any and all queries from its customers, whether the Vertu owner is looking for fine dining recommendations, a theater booking, or to send gifts to the other side of the globe.
With the limitless amount of cellphones on the market today, it has become difficult to distinguish between the various models and their endless features. However, the fusion of Ferrari and Vertu, two pioneers in their respective industries, has created a cellphone so distinct and superior, that there is no way it could be ever mistaken for anything but spectacular.
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