Ferrari's 458 Italia Spider. Image: Ferrari
A second earthquake hit Italy’s Modena province on Tuesday morning, killing at least 15 people, destroying buildings and damaging infrastructure. The quake, which measured 5.8 in magnitude, struck at 9:00 a.m. local time and was followed by aftershocks as strong as 5.6.
While automakers Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini escaped factory damage in the quake, all three halted operations so that employees could join their families. As Autoweek reports, all three automakers are expected to resume production today.
Motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, also based in the region, was closed following Tuesday’s quake as well. It’s expected that the Volkswagen Group’s latest acquisition will resume production today, too.
The second quake was centered near the towns of Cavezzo, Medolla and Mirandola, but was felt as far away as Tuscany and Umbria. While Italy suffers some 2,000 earthquakes annually, temblors of this magnitude in northern Italy are a rare occurrence.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
