Ferrari Celebrates 70 Years Of Perfected Workmanship: contributed by Lucy Wyndham
Photo by Carlo D’Agnolo on Unsplash Undoubtedly one of the most famous car brands in the world, Ferrari has just celebrated its 70 years in the car building business. Though it all started when Enzo Ferrari, a racing driver, formed the Ferrari Stable in 1929 when he prepared and fielded Alfa Romeo cars, it wasn’t till 1947 that the first Ferrari was produced at the Maranello factory bearing the brand’s famous symbol depicting a black horse on a yellow background bordered by the colors of the Italian flag. The stallion, rearing up on its hind legs, is a tribute to World War I Italian air force star, Franceso Baracca, who was known to paint a prancing horse on the side of his planes. Since the origin of the company, Ferrari has been involved in motorsport, competing in a range of categories that included Formula One and sports car racing through its Scudrria Ferrari sporting division. Ferrari also supplied cars and engines to other teams and for one-make race series. The AAC 815 was the first racing car designed by Enzo in 1940 although it was not released as a Ferrari model. Today, more than 7000 Ferrari’s are being produced annually with some customers preferring the sleek original look of the vehicle while some prefer a more unique, customized look of which the modified body kit of the Ferrari F12Berlinetta is a prime example. Celebrated Ferrari’s through the ages No celebration of the legacy of Enzo Ferrari will be complete without honoring some of his other greatest masterpieces. 250 GTO Enzo always saw his road cars as a means to fund his racing. The 250 GTO was developed for the GT racing series of 1962 with the abbreviation ‘GTO’ standing for Gran Tourismo Omologato. There were only 39 examples of the vehicle built between 1962 and 1964, an exclusivity which, combined with the car’s success on the racing track, making this V12 couple one of the most desirable and expensive Ferraris to collect. The last 250 GTO that was put up for sale in 2016 had an asking price of a staggering $72 million. DINO 206 GT It might not have carried the Ferrari branding but the Dino remains one of Ferrari’s most important models. When Enzo created the Dino, which he named in honor of his son, he had a strict V12 policy for his cars which was the reason for the mid-engined V6-powered sports car to be devoid of the official Ferrari branding. The Dino did however become a highly desirable collectable that inspired Ferrari to expand its range beyond the V12 with the V8-powered cars that continued until today. The current 488 GTB lineage can be traced directly back to the Dino. Ferrari F40 The F40 is a special car for several reasons. Firstly, it was the last car to be signed off by Enzo before his death back in 1988, and what a car to end a beautiful streak on. Seen as an evolution of the 288 GTO, the F40 was Ferrari’s first counter-strike to Porsche’s 959 supercar and also the first car to reach the 300km/h mark. Power was given by a mid-mounted 2.9 litre twin-turbo V8 engine while the impressive body was made from a mixture of aluminium, carbon fibre and Kevlar. The F40 became the most significant supercar of the 1980’s and is the forefather of the Enzo, LaFerrari and F50 as well as being the catalyst for the McLaren F1. While his legacy will live on forever it is poignant that not more was known about the man behind the car. Enzo Ferrari gave few interviews and when he did agree to them he liked to present himself as rather pragmatic. The man behind some of the most astounding sports cars in the world very seldom had any light cast on him with the result that his legacy will forever be dominated by the people who have driven and raced his cars.