Ferrari is a name synonymous with fast, beautiful, and often red cars. Their homeland is Italy. They set records on race tracks and turn heads on city streets. These legendary machines are the dream of Enzo Ferrari, who managed to turn his childhood passion into reality by creating cars for auto racing.
The Origin of Ferrari
Ferrari is at the top of the automotive industry’s food chain, occupying a niche of elite cars produced in small series. They are bought like works of art by connoisseurs who can afford to satisfy their passion. These are cars with a racing pedigree that sound as good as they look. But it all started with one man’s dream.
The Rise of Ferrari
Enzo fell in love with racing as a young child; this exciting sport amazed his imagination. Being a spectator at auto races in the early 20th century was thrilling. During races, people lined up along the roads, with no barriers between them and the cars; no matter what happened, you were always close.
Ferrari was determined to stay in the center of this whirlwind all his life. But in 1914, interest in racing was pushed aside by war. Europe was engulfed in flames, and new technologies led to the creation of machines for killing. Simple joys like sports competitions were forgotten. Enzo’s brother, Dino, joined the army and worked in the mechanics team of the Italian ace Francesco Baracca. The hero of aviation’s symbol was a prancing horse, which Ferrari later used as the emblem of his cars.
The war was a serious test for young Ferrari; he lost his father and, a little later, his brother. Enzo was drafted when he turned 19, and, ironically, the future creator of exclusive cars was involved in shoeing mules. He developed pleurisy and was demobilized after the war, becoming one of the many thousands of former soldiers who were now looking for work. He sought to find a way to participate in races.
The popularity of racing began to grow again, and Ferrari waited for a chance to become a racer.
Post-war period
One small company gave the young man the opportunity to get behind the wheel of its car, and so his career began.
The car driven by Enzo could not compete with the cars of large manufacturers. He gained experience but did not win; he needed to move to another team with a good car.
In 1920, Alfa Romeo invited Ferrari to join them. He was not destined to become a great racer, but he knew perfectly well how to lead his team to success.
He knew how to identify a good driver, how to launch an advertising campaign, how to make a good car, and how to combine it all to win races. Under Ferrari’s leadership, the “Alfa Romeo Team” was created, which included the greatest racers in the world.
The team drove fans crazy, performing all over Europe, winning victory after victory. Unfortunately, Alfa Romeo’s management decided that it had nothing more to prove; the company left racing in 1932. Ferrari used this moment to create his team, “Scuderia Ferrari.” Enzo took the entire team of Alfa racers with him: Antonio Ascari, Achille Varzi, Giuseppe Campari, and Tazio Nuvolari began to win under the sign of the prancing horse.
One of the racers stood out from the others: Tazio Nuvolari. He was the most talented and famous, he had an unconventional driving style, and pit stops turned into a storm of emotions. Nuvolari’s crazy driving and charm won the hearts of fans. The ability to win brought him Ferrari’s favor. The team seemed invincible.
Although Alfa officially left racing, it still provided its cars, and the racers continued to win. In 1934, Alfa’s dominance in racing was challenged. Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union threw all their efforts into winning races: the Grand Prix.
These two German teams fielded a series of stunningly fast cars that were head and shoulders above their competitors.
Ferrari was not convinced of the Germans’ invincibility. Alfa was preparing new cars, and he believed that his racers were the best in the world, but the Germans continued to win. The main battle unfolded at the 1935 German Grand Prix.
The new Alfas were not ready for it, but Ferrari slightly modified his three-year-old models, adding power to them. He hoped that Nuvolari could fight the Germans. Tazio drove the Nürburgring to the limit, relentlessly pursuing the leader lap after lap, and in the last kilometers of the race, he went ahead and finished first.
This was a serious blow to the Germans’ pride. Enzo showed that their dream of dominance in the world of auto racing might not come true. Hitler did not heed the warnings that a person could be stronger than machines and in 1939 plunged the world into war.
Naturally, racing competitions were suspended; the roar of explosions and volleys replaced the chanting of fans throughout Europe. After the war, the European automotive industry lay in ruins.
Ferrari settled in a workshop in Maranello and began to assemble his models. Finally, he had a chance to fulfill his dream. Now he could assemble cars that embodied all the experience he had gained in racing. It took two years of work to create, and in 1947, the “125” model appeared, and the world took notice.
Only three copies of this light and fast car were assembled; it was elegant and recognizable. The interior was ascetic, with only the elements necessary for racing left: bucket seats, a five-speed gearbox, and a steering wheel. The main achievement of the model was the luxurious twelve-cylinder engine that produced 72 horsepower with a cylinder volume of 125 cubic centimeters (hence the index – 125).
The roar of the 12-cylinder engine became a hallmark of Ferrari. These three cars began to win races, taking the lead at the Rome and Parne Grand Prix. Two of them were bodied, and one was equipped with a cigar-shaped body. It won the Turin Grand Prix. The cars were modified by boring the cylinders to 166 cc. The car that won in Turin was indexed “166.”
The first car disappeared somewhere, but the second one ended up in a Californian collector’s garage. It is considered the oldest surviving Ferrari. It participated in races in Argentina but then returned to Italy. After many years of racing, it was delivered to America and restored. It was the 166th model that laid the foundation for the appearance of the following Ferraris.
In 1950, Italian motorsport fully recovered from the effects of the war; Ferrari was not the only racing team. The team’s former patron, Alfa Romeo, fueled the competition. Alfa’s management followed Ferrari’s example and tried to attract the best racers in the world. Their number one was Argentinian Juan Manuel Fangio. Fangio and his Alfa seemed unstoppable.
Ferrari did not give up; in 1951, he fought Alfa at the British Grand Prix. His new cars outpaced Fangio and Alfa Romeo. In 1953, the company was on top, producing a whole range of cars. The “250MM” model, with a body by Vignale, was assembled specifically to participate in the thousand-mile “Mille Miglia” race, hence the abbreviation “MM.”
Only 18 “Spiders” from Vignale were assembled. These twelve-cylinder cars were the most advanced cars of their time.
Not all Ferraris were red. The 1953 “375MM” models were painted in the yellow and blue colors of Argentina, where they successfully competed in races from 1954 to 1957. The 4.5-liter engine produced 300 horsepower, and the maximum speed exceeded 255 km/h. If you have an extra $3 million, this car is perfect for historic races.
Ferrari constantly experimented; he was never completely satisfied; he believed that the engine needed to be made lighter and tried 4 cylinders, for example, on the 1953 “500 Mondial” model. Design studios like Pininfarina made Ferraris so beautiful that people stopped just to look at them.
Ferrari was interested in beauty, but the main driving force was always the desire to win. Production cars were only a source of funding for racing success; his passion and determination paid off.
Ferrari won in 1952-53. Alberto Ascari led the team to victory in all the races in which it participated. Ferrari became not just a brand; it became a legend and a benchmark. But the team’s old rival, Mercedes, returned to racing and was ready to overthrow the Italians.
The Germans called Fangio under their banners, who showed an average speed of 190 km/h, destroying rivals. Mercedes and Ferrari reached the limit of safety of racing cars of that era. A series of accidents horrified the public. One Alfa lost 3 pilots. Finally, in 1955, Mercedes flew off the track in Le Mans and crashed into a crowd, killing more than 80 people.
A series of tragedies pushed Alfa Romeo, Lancia, and Mercedes-Benz to leave Formula 1. Ferrari had no competitors left. He continued to create not only racing cars but also sports cars for ordinary roads, thanks to which the factory continued to exist. In their person, enthusiasts around the world received cars that were pleasant to drive. Although some of these cars cost more than a million dollars, many of their owners still like to get the most out of them.
Ferrari’s management understood this and founded a series of historic races for semi-professionals and gentlemen racers – “Ferrari Historic Challenge.” The cars in it are divided into 3 classes: single-seat race cars, cars with drum brakes, and with disc brakes. Initially, only rare Ferraris with a racing past participated in the series, but in 1999, the series was expanded. Maserati was allowed to participate. Thanks to this, not only did the number of competitors increase, but an aura of historical rivalry also appeared. The competition gives car owners a chance to experience what it was like to race these cars.
By 1960, Ferrari had become the uncrowned king of automotive style and fashion; his cars exuded attractiveness but began to lose in terms of technology; changes were needed to maintain their competitiveness. Other Formula 1 teams had already introduced mid-engine cars, and Ferrari soon followed their example. Thus, the “250LM” appeared, the first mid-engine model. To compete in the class of production sports cars, the company had to produce 100 copies, but only 40 were assembled.
As a result, the car was allowed to race; some were against it, such as Ford and Carroll Shelby. Ferrari was forced to pit the “250LM” against more powerful cars. Henry Ford II was fascinated by Enzo and his cars. Ford wanted to participate in European races and decided that the easiest way to do this was to buy Ferrari. He wanted to take advantage of the experience of the racers, engineers, and mechanics who secured the team 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th places at Le Mans in 1963.
Ferrari was interested in Ford’s huge resources; negotiations began. Ford flew to Italy to sign the contract, but Enzo had one question: “Who will make the final decisions?” When Ford said that it would be him, Ferrari showed the guests the door. He could not give up control of his company, especially the racing program.
Ford was furious and demanded revenge, starting a powerful racing company that had one goal: to surpass the “Prancing Horse.”
Work began on a competitor to the 250 GTO, the “GT40” model. The goal was to create a car that could accelerate to more than 320 km/h; it had to maintain an average speed of 190 km/h for 24 hours, which was exactly what was needed to beat Ferrari at Le Mans. The aerodynamic Ford “GT40 Mark-1” was equipped with an engine from Ford cars that participated in races in Indianapolis; it was good, but there was no time for testing before Le Mans.
In June 1964, the time for the debut came. Three “GT40” models took part in the race, but none finished. Ferrari finished the race in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th places. Ford returned the following year with two modified “GT40 MARK-2” cars, both of which retired. Ferrari “250LM” took 1st and 2nd places, and 3rd place went to another model of this brand.
Ford hoped that Carroll Shelby could lead the team to victory; he was tasked with surpassing Ferrari at all costs. Rumor had it that Ford spent nearly a billion dollars on the “GT40” program; he made it clear to Shelby that money was no object.
In ’66, Ford came to Le Mans to win. Clouds and rain were a bad omen, Ferrari did not finish. Ford won Le Mans, and then the World Sportscar Championship. Ford finally knocked Ferrari off the pedestal.
Enzo understood that he would need the deep pockets of a large automaker to continue racing.
In ’69, he struck a deal with “FIAT” which allowed him to maintain control of the racing program, ensuring proper funding. He gave FIAT the production of road cars, thanks to which he remained in racing.
FIAT invested money in modernizing production and car development processes. They were still mostly assembled by hand, but FIAT was not going to be satisfied with victories by selling cars only occasionally; the emphasis shifted towards increasing sales. This was a time of rapid development. When the “Magnum, P.I.” series came out, featuring a red Ferrari 308, these cars became even more famous.
In ’85, the hearts of fans were won over by the 12-cylinder Testarossa model and the 8-cylinder 288 GTO. The top speed of 290 km/h made the “Testarossa” a favorite of everyone with speed genes, becoming the company’s most popular model. From ’85 to ’90, 200 units were sold in North America alone.
FIAT handled the production cars, and Enzo continued to do what he did best – manage the racing team. He signed Mario Andretti and Niki Lauda, who became gods in the circle of Formula 1 fans. Racing victories reinforced the legend of Ferrari. It was rumored that in Italy, Ferrari was more popular than the Pope.
In ’87, the 40th anniversary of the first Ferrari was celebrated, and the company celebrated it with the release of the F40. The mid-engine car vividly resembled the 250LM model, allowing the owner to experience what it was like to drive a racing car.
The F40 used many technologies tested in Formula 1. The body was made of composite materials reinforced with carbon fiber and Kevlar. Each of the doors weighed only 1.5 kilograms.
The “F40” is the quintessence of Ferrari. Unfortunately, this model was the last one that the 90-year-old Ferrari saw; he passed away in ’88. Enzo died, but the memory of him lived on.
In 2002, the company introduced a model named Enzo. Ferrari had achieved a number of significant victories and wanted to celebrate these achievements by creating a car that would be close to a Formula 1 car.
The Enzo looks like it was created for the racetrack. The 6-liter V12 engine and carbon fiber body testify to its racing purpose. This high-speed car cannot boast a stereo system, cruise control, or GPS, but the speed of 350 km/h makes up for everything.
However, only 340 people got the right to own this car. Limited production has become the mantra of Ferrari.
Assembling the maximum possible production of cars would lead to a decrease in quality and damage the company’s reputation.
Ferrari Limited production
It produces as many cars as it can assemble with quality. The number of potential buyers exceeds the number of cars, which allows maintaining the value at the highest level.
People are attracted to hand assembly and meticulous attention to detail. These are the hallmarks of Ferrari. Starting with the very first model of this brand, there is a desire to combine racing and style.
These are beautiful sculptures that look fabulous, drive fast, and sound unforgettable. Enzo Ferrari embodied the passion of Italians for cars and became a true legend for the whole world.
