First UK Ferrari store opens

Ferrari enthusiasts now have somewhere official to indulge their passion in all things Prancing Horse as the first official Ferrari store opens its doors. The Regent street store is open for business now, though it doesn't get its official opening until May 6th.

It will be worth the wait, however, as Ferrari Formula One driver Kimi Räikkönen will be at the grand opening, officially opening the doors on all kinds of Ferrari branded merchandise - including a replica of the F2005 Formula One car. The car will take centre stage in the shop window and can be bought by any hardcore Ferrari/Formula One enthusiast - just don't expect to drive it away.

If you'd like a glimpse of the new store but don't live near its central London location, don't fret: a virtual tour can be found at www.ferrari.com, where you'll see Ferrari-branded merchandise as diverse as baseball caps and children's cuddly toys, sunglasses and scale models of Ferrari's best loved cars.

It's the 25th international Ferrari store, over half of which are outside Italy in cities including New York, Dubai, Athens and Bahrain. Yet, only the original factory store in Maranello is run directly by Ferrari itself; the rest are franchises.

Mark Nichol