The company’s story officially began in 1947 when the first Ferrari emerged from the historic factory entrance on Via Abetone Inferiore in Maranello. The 125 S, as it was known, embodied the passion and determination of the company’s founder.
Enzo Ferrari was born in Modena on February 18th 1898 and died on August 14th 1988. He devoted his entire life to designing and building sports cars and, of course, to the track which was his passion.
Having been made an official Alfa Romeo driver in 1924, within five years he had gone on to found the Scuderia Ferrari on Viale Trento Trieste in Modena which assisted mostly gentlemen drivers in racing their cars.
In 1938, Enzo Ferrari was appointed head of Alfa Corse but quit the position in 1939 to set up his own company, Auto Avio Costruzioni, which operated out of the old Scuderia buildings, this was the beginning of Ferrari as we know it today.
The second World War interrupted racing but in 1947 Enzo’s company launched the first ever Ferrari 815 Sport and from this time Ferrari takes the racing world by storm.
The legendary symbol used by Ferrari has heroic origins. It was first adopted as a personal emblem by a highly decorated Italian World War I pilot, Francesco Baracca, who had it painted on the fuselage of his aircraft.
At the end of the war, Baracca’s parents offered to allow Enzo Ferrari use the Cavallino Rampante (Prancing Horse) symbol. He adopted it as the logo for his racing Scuderia, placing it on a yellow shield in honour of his hometown of Modena and topping it with the Italian tricolour.
In 1987 the F40 is the last car to be created under Enzo Ferrari’s management, is unveiled. Shortly before his death at the age of 90 on August 14th, the University of Modena confers Ferrari with an Honorary Degree in Physics.
“THINK AS A WINNER AND ACT AS A WINNER. YOU’LL BE QUITE LIKELY TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL.” – Enzo Ferrari
