F40 U30
We thank the “National Automobile Museum · The Loh Collection” for the generous loan of the Ferrari F40, which is on display here in the junior area of the Bremen Classic Motorshow.
As part of the special Ferrari exhibition, which will open its doors at the museum in Dietzhölztal near Siegen from March 23rd until autumn 2024, the vehicle will be one of the highlights – together with around 20 other spectacular classics that the dream car brand from Maranello has produced in the past 70 years.
The special Ferrari exhibition will also feature a work by the artist Hendrik Schmeer (23), depicting the red F40 in front of a row of Italian houses – a painting created at the stand during the Bremen Classic Motorshow. At the initiative and under the project management of Smilla Blaube (23), the painting will be auctioned at the end of the year in cooperation with the "National Automobile Museum · The Loh Collection".
The proceeds will be donated and will benefit the promotion of young talent in the field of automobiles and classic cars.
F40 as a screen star
More than 45,000 visitors to the Bremen Classic Motorshow 2024 witnessed its creation. Around 80,000 guests of the National Automobile Museum, The Loh Collection, admired it as an exhibit in the spectacular special exhibition "Ferrari – Masterpieces for Racetrack and Road." Now it will be auctioned off to the highest bidder: the 1.60 x 1.20 meter painting "Passion in Red" by Hendrik Schmeer. It will be offered at the major automobilia auction at the National Automobile Museum – The Loh Collection – on November 23, 2025.
The work was created as part of the F40/U30 project, initiated by Smilla Blaube (24) in response to the lack of young talent in the classic car scene. Her solution to the aging of the hobby: don't wait to see what working groups of established industry representatives come up with to promote youth engagement, but take action yourself. The remarkable result could be admired for the first time at the large Bremen Classic Car Show in February 2024: a central 390-square-meter exhibition stand where classic car enthusiasts under the age of 30 presented what they find so fascinating about vintage cars – and what they themselves can contribute in terms of craftsmanship and culture.
Smilla Blaube's impressive contribution: exhibiting a Ferrari F40, generously provided by the National Automobile Museum, The Loh Collection. "A dream car for young and old alike, thus bridging the gap of passion between generations," the Hamburg native said of her F40/U30 project. To also offer young talents a platform and a space for exchange, she engaged the renowned up-and-coming classic car painter Hendrik Schmeer (24), for whom the valuable F40 served as a model. The creation of the artwork "Passion in Red" became a live event in front of visitors to the Bremen Classic Motorshow. It was then officially unveiled as part of the internationally acclaimed Ferrari special exhibition at the National Automobile Museum.
The prominent painting (acrylic on canvas) will now be auctioned by the renowned automobilia auction house Ni-Cola. The proceeds will benefit children's cancer charities and other charitable causes. Bidders are welcome in person, by phone, or online.