The story of Ferrari is the story of one man with a relentless passion for racing and unyielding dedication to building the world’s finest sports cars. That man was Enzo Ferrari, the legendary founder behind the prancing horse emblem that would become the ultimate symbol of speed, luxury and ambition on four wheels.
Ferrari’s origins go back to his early career as a race car driver in the 1920s. After losing a friend during a race, he reluctantly retired from driving and focused instead on managing drivers and preparing racing cars. In 1929, he formed the Scuderia Ferrari company to sponsor amateur drivers for Alfa Romeo.
Scuderia Ferrari experienced tremendous racing success which enhanced its reputation but also increased tensions with Alfa Romeo. By 1939, Ferrari decided to branch out on his own and build his own racing cars. He obtained some funding and set up a small shop in Modena, Italy. The first official Ferrari race car, the Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, debuted in 1940 emblazoned with Ferrari’s cavallino rampante (prancing horse) logo.
Throughout the early 1940s, Enzo Ferrari devoted himself fully to producing high-performance race cars while also encountering much hardship with World War II raging on in Italy. His factory had to relocate several times to avoid being bombed. Supplies were limited, forcing Ferrari and his engineers to show great creativity and resilience in constructing cars. Nonetheless, Ferrari continued participating in motorsports when possible and earned credibility for beating competitors equipped with superior parts and technologies.
When the war ended in 1945, Ferrari was ready to capitalize on renewed interest in sports car racing. He launched the first iconic Ferrari road car, the 125 S in 1947. The lightweight, V12-engine powered speedster was like no other road-legal production vehicle at the time. The success of the 125 S convinced Ferrari to officially register Scuderia Ferrari for producing sports and racing cars under his own name. Soon more exciting Ferrari models followed including the 166 Inter and the 212 Export which began racking up race wins across Europe.
Throughout the late 1940s, Ferrari’s young company earned various Grand Prix victories, establishing a distinguished reputation, but the balance sheet told a far less prosperous story. To fund his dream of building the world’s greatest racing team, Ferrari needed to broaden production to generate larger revenues from sports car sales.
The early years of Scuderia Ferrari were a constant struggle, yet Enzo Ferrari never relinquished his vision to create the ultimate racing machine. His force of innovation and grit powered through formidable adversity. And the cavallino rampante kept charging ahead — destined to become the most legendary brand in motorsports history.