“Ferrari has been selling F1 cars forever, at least since the 1970s,” Filippo Petrucci, head of the tech department overseeing the F1 Clienti, XX and Sport Prototipi cars, tells Motor Sport.

“It is possible somehow to run the cars from the ’70s, ’80s and early ’90s, but when you start to have many electronic systems and semi-automatic gearboxes, it becomes difficult. You would need to know the procedures for start-up and the pressure targets for all the systems. If you don’t have this information there could be problems.”

With the blueprints for all the cars it has ever made, Ferrari can also manufacturer that pesky winglet or washer that might have just gone missing. In one extreme case, Maranello had to help reproduce – with parts old and new – a 1982 126 CK F1 car, none of which existed due to crashes and conversions into newer machines.

The Corse Clienti programme holds eight events across the year where Ferrari F1 car owners can take their machines for a blast – as long as all involved are careful.

“With some small tricks, turning down the revs by a few hundred and using some strategies that are a bit softer than the old race strategies, we can preserve the life of the engine,” says Petrucci. “I would not stress too much those old ladies.”

However, the emphasis is still on driving pleasure.

“Our philosophy is to support the customer to enjoy the thrill of the track. They do not have to think to anything else apart from getting in the racing suit and driving their car,” a Ferrari representative says.

To keep your vintage competition car looked after by Ferrari for a year costs €19,000 (£15.8k). To go to one of the official events, a standard internal combustion-era F1 car needs 10 staff plus one co-ordinator for each car, but 12 to 14 are needed on a hybrid machine. It costs the customer an inclusive fee of €20k (£16.6k) per event (which includes flights and hospitality as well as the mechanics) to take their ICE machine, and €30k (£25k) for a hybrid.

“We have started the delivery of 2018 hybrid cars, which means some extra work from us: to manage the power unit, and the car has to be shipped by air freight because of the battery,” they continue. “The team to support the car is bigger and with more specific focus on the power unit.”

While Sebastian Vettel has Scuderia cars from his own personal collection looked after at Maranello, this most exclusive of clubs allows people like Taiwanese pop star Jimmy Lin and renewable energy entrepreneur Chris Froggatt to live out their Ferrari dream by both racing GT cars in the Ferrari Challenge and taking more high-end competition cars for a drive.

Lin lets off steam by taking his Ferrari F2001 GP car, once raced by Rubens Barrichello, for a spin at events.

“When I had my first kid I stopped rallying because rallying can be very dangerous and when I had twins I stopped racing,” he says. “I might not race any more, but I was always dreaming of racing and cars. I wanted an F1 car and waited a long time to get this one.”