Ferrari
Ferrari is an Italian manufacturer of racing cars and exclusive, expensive sports cars, formed by Enzo Ferrari in 1946 as an independent brand and now owned by the Fiat group. The company is based in Maranello, about 15mins from Modena, Italy.
History
The origins of the company go back to the Scuderia Ferrari racing team, which from 1929 to 1938 prepared and raced Alfa Romeo cars very successfully under the leadership of Enzo Ferrari. "Scuderia Ferrari" literally translated in English means "the Ferrari Stable" in keeping with their prancing horse emblem; figuratively, it has come to be known as "Team Ferrari."
In 1940 the Scuderia became the "Auto Avio Costruzioni Ferrari" and in 1943 the factory moved to Maranello, which is still now its see. Here it produced cars and aircraft accessories. The factory was bombed in 1944 and rebuilt in 1946.
The first Ferrari car was the 125 C Sport, with a 1.5-litre V12 engine, of 1947.
Noted for their exquisite styling by design house Pininfarina, the road cars have long been one of the ultimate accessories for the rich and young (or young-at-heart).
Other design houses that Ferrari used over the years include Scaglietti, Bertone, Vignale.
Featuring highly-tuned (and, until the introduction of fuel injection in the 1980s, highly temperamental) small V8 and V12 engines, often in a mid-engined configuration, their performance, handling, sound, and shape made them extremely desirable. Their reputation for unreliability and poor-quality engineering (though largely dispelled by the 1990s) was viewed as an example of the car's "character" (though fans of Porsche would argue that their vehicles had similar virtues and were as reliable and tractable as a Toyota; Ferrari owners refer to Porsches as expensive roller skates).
Racing
Michael Schumacher driving for Ferrari at A1Ring
The Scuderia celebrate another Schumacher win
Main article: Scuderia Ferrari
Ferrari has raced cars much longer than it has built them for road use; Enzo Ferrari only went into car production to fund his racing efforts, and had a famous distaste for his customers, most of whom he felt were purchasing his cars for the prestige and not for the performance value. The Scuderia joined the Formula One championship in the first year of its existence, 1950, and are the oldest team left in the championship, not to mention the most successful: the team have won the World Constructor's Championship a record 13 times.
Famous drivers include Alberto Ascari, Niki Lauda, Jody Scheckter, Gilles Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher.
The "Cavallino Rampante"
The famous symbol of Ferrari is a black prancing horse on yellow background, usually with the letters S F for Scuderia Ferrari.
The horse was originally the symbol of Count Francesco Baracca, a legendary "asso" of the Italian air force during WWI, who had it painted on his planes. Baracca died very young on June 19, 1918, shot down after 34 victorious duels and a hundred of team victories, and soon became a national hero, a symbol of the new cultural values of his age (these were the times in which Futurism was developed).
Baracca had wanted the prancing horse on his planes because his squad, the "Battaglione Aviatori", was enrolled in a Cavalry regiment (air forces were at their first years of life and had no separate administration), and also because he himself was reputed to be the best cavaliere of his team. It has been supposed that this was perhaps partly due to the fact that his noble family was known for having plenty of horses in their estates at Lugo di Romagna.
Another unproven theory suggests Baracca copied the rampant horse design from a German pilot having the emblem of the city of Stuttgart on his plane. Interestingly, German car manufacturer Porsche, from Stuttgart, borrowed its prancing horse logo from the city's emblem.
In 1923, Enzo Ferrari won a car race in Ravenna, and there he met the Countess Paolina, mother of Baracca. He was granted a permission to use the horse (the Countess wished him that it could grant him good luck), but it wasn't until 1932 that the horse was used on the Alfa Romeo cars of Scuderia Ferrari, at Spa (24 hours). Of course, we should say, Ferrari won.
Enzo Ferrari had added the yellow background because this was the symbolic color of Modena, his town, and the logo was since then connected to the brand.
The prancing horse however does not identify the Ferrari brand only: Fabio Taglioni's Ducati too had it on its motorbikes. Taglioni's father was in fact a companion of Baracca's, and fought in his famous squad, the 91st Air Squad but when Ferrari became famous and the early legend started to accompany it, Ducati abandoned the horse, some suggest because of a private agreement between the two brands.
The prancing horse is however a trademark of Ferrari.
Road Models
Current
8 Cylinders:
12 Cylinders:
Past
- 159 S (1947)
- 125 S (1947)
- 166 Inter (1948)
- 166 MM (1948)
- 166 F2 (1948)
- 166 S (1948)
- 195 S (1950)
- 340 America (1951)
- 212 Export (1951)
- 195 Inter (1951)
- 212 Inter (1951)
- 250 S (1952)
- 250 MM (1952)
- 225 S (1952)
- 342 America (1952)
- 340 Mexico - Mexico Spider (1952)
- 340 MM (1953)
- 735 S (1953)
- 625 TF (1953)
- 250 Europa (1953)
- 500 Mondial (1953)
- 375 MM (1953)
- 375 America (1953)
- 375 Plus (1954)
- 250 GT - GT Spider (1954)
- 750 Monza - 250 Monza (1954)
- 735 LM (1955)
- 410 S (1955)
- 625 LM (1956)
- 290 MM (1956)
- 410 SA (Superamerica) (1956)
- 860 Monza (1956)
- 400 Testa Rossa (1956)
- Dino 156 F2 (1957)
- 335S (1957)
- 315S (1957)
- 250 GT California (1957)
- 412 MI (1958)
- 250 Testa Rossa (1958)
- Dino 196 S - Dino 246 S (1959)
- 250 GT Berlinetta (Short Wheelbase) (1959)
- 250 GT Cabriolet (1959)
- 400 SA (Superamerica) (1960)
- 250 GT 2+2 (1960)
- 246 SP (1961)
- 250 GTO (1962)
- 196 SP (1962)
- 268 SP (1962)
- 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso (1962)
- 250 P (1963)
- 330 LM (1963)
- 330 GT 2+2 (1964)
- 275P - 330P
- 500 Superfast
- 275 GTB-GTS
- 250 LM
- 206 P
- 275 P2
- 330 P2
- 365 P
- Dino 166 P
- 365 California
- 206 S
- 365 P Special
- 330 P3
- 275 GTB4
- 330 GTC-GTS
- 330 P4
- Dino 206 GT
- Dino 166 F2
- 365 GT 2+2
- 612 Can-Am
- 365 GTC-GTS
- 365 GTB4-GTS4
- 246 Tasmania
- Dino 246 GT
- 312 P
- 212 E
- 512 S - 512 M
- 365 GTC4
- 365 GT4 BB
- 312 P
- 365 GT4 2+2
- Dino 246 GTS
- Dino 308 GT4
- 308 GTB
- 208 GT4
- 400 Automatic - GT
- 512 BB
- 308 GTS
- Mondial 8
- 208 GTB-GTS
- 512 i BB
- 208 GTB-GTS Turbo
- 308 GTB-GTS Quattrovalvole
- Mondial Cabriolet
- Testarossa
- 288 GTO
- Mondial 3.2 - 3.2 Cabrio
- 412
- 328 GTB-GTS
- GTB-GTS Turbo
- F40
- 348 TB-TS
- Mondial T - T Cabriolet (1989)
- 512 TR (1991)
- 456 GT - GTA (1992)
- F355 (1994)
- F512M (1994)
- F50 (1995)
- 550 (1996)
Competition Models
Current
Past
- F333 SP (1993)
See Also
External links
- The official Ferrari website (external link)
- The evolution of the Horse (external link - in Italian)