Ferrari – The Story Of The Luxury Automobile Brand

The name Ferrari evokes a sense of respect amongst motor car enthusiasts.  All over the world, Ferrari is known for its luxury car offerings with high end engine specifications as well as swanky designs to go with them.  It is always at the forefront of innovation, constantly finding ways to upgrade its line of products. However, it is also renowned for its rich history of motor car racing.  Ferrari is one of the biggest and oldest teams to compete in Formula One racing.

Beginnings

Ferrari was founded by Enzo Ferrari.  However, Ferrari was not initially a luxury car manufacturer.  Enzo Ferrari wanted to work with FIAT, but his application was rejected.  He then worked as a race car driver for Alfa Romeo, post which he founded Scuderia Ferrari, which translates to Ferrari Stable and was a sporting society which allowed its members to race.  

Scuderia Ferrari was formed in 1929 with its headquarters in Modena, Italy.  Scuderia Ferrari fielded Alfa Romeo cars for racing. Scuderia Ferrari went on to become the racing division and team of Alfa Romeo after the Company disbanded its in house racing team.  Alfa Romeo later acquired Scuderia Ferrari and formed the Alfa Corse and subsequently disbanded Scuderia Ferrari. Alfa Romeo also appointed Ferrari as Sporting Director. 

Founding of Ferrari

In 1939, Enzo Ferrari left Alfa Romeo on the grounds he would not use the Ferrari name in association with racing cars for at least four years.  So, Enzo founded Auto Avio Costruzioni, the ancestor of Ferrari which manufactured machine tools and aircraft accessories. Due to the World War II, Ferrari saw little sales and their factory in Milan was bombed by the allies.

The factory was eventually rebuilt and the first Ferrari car, powered by a V12 engine and bearing the black prancing horse logo which is symbolic of Ferrari, made its debut.

Racing history

Enzo Ferrari was an avid race car driver and his passion lied there.  Although Enzo was making cars for the public, he saw it as a way to obtain funds to fuel his passion for racing via Scuderia Ferrari.  Scuderia Ferrari is now the racing division of the luxury sports car manufacturer.

Ferrari is one of the oldest race car competitors and the only one to compete in all the editions of Formula One since the championship’s inception in 1950.  Scuderia Ferrari has produced some of the greatest drivers like Niki Lauda, Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Felipe Massa, Kimi Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso.

Today, it is easy to recognize a car of the Ferrari make by looking at the black prancing horse logo.  Over the years, owning a Ferrari has come to symbolize status, wealth and the love for speed. In 2002, Ferrari released a car, the Enzo Ferrari, named in honour of the brand’s founder Enzo Ferrari.  Only 400 of these cars were made and the 400th one was donated to The Vatican for charity.

Enzo Ferrari and his brand are an inspiration to many across the world and racing purists will always swear by the quality and design Ferrari provides.  The Ferrari brand was painstakingly built over the years and the popularity has not waned, mostly due to the dedication of Enzo Ferrari and his vision. People looking for inspiration can take lessons from his life and his passion for automobiles.

Read about Henry Ford’s unknown facts here: Henry Ford Unknown Facts