Amid all these closures, cancellations and postponements, it’s time for some good news: Ferrari says it will reopen its factories in Maranello and Modena on April 14.
The Italian company is the first European automaker to announce a schedule for restarting its production, but is careful to admit in a statement that production will be ‘subject to supply chain continuity’. Ferrari was the second carmaker to close, after Lamborghini, earlier this month due to the Covid-19 virus outbreak, and had originally planned to reopen on March 27. But as we’ve seen, Italy has been the hardest hit in Europe by the number of cases and deaths of the pandemic. The Italian government has since taken extreme measures to contain the spread, including forcing some industries to close.
Those Ferrari employees who are working from home now can continue to do so, and the company ‘will continue to cover all days of absence to those unable to take advantage of this solution.’ Of course, you can’t bolt together a V12 from your couch.
Ford has also announced it will restart a few key assembly and parts facilities in North America as early as April 6, pending any further changes. Those plants focus on the profit-making F-150 pickups, some SUVs and Transit vans.
*Images courtesy of Ferrari
