The Ferrari Owners? Enzo Ferrari initially operated under the Alfa Romeo name, but in 1939 he broke away to create his own business. Since the day the Maranello, Italy production factory opened its doors, every Ferrari has remained distinctively Ferrari, yet the business has had a variety of owners over the years.
In This Article...
Ferrari
The automaker is the subject of this essay. See List of Ferrari Road Cars for a list of the road models that Ferrari has made. Scuderia Ferrari is the name of the Formula One team. Ferrari, the 2003 biographical movie (film). Enzo Ferrari is the name of the founder. Ferrari has other uses as well (disambiguation).
In 1969, Fiat S.p.A. purchased 50% of Ferrari, and in 1988, it increased its ownership to 90%. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), which at the time of the announcement owned 90% of Ferrari, said in October 2014 that it intended to separate Ferrari S.p.A. from FCA. The reorganization that made Ferrari N.V. (a Dutch business) the new holding company of the Ferrari S.p.A. group and the subsequent sale by FCA of 10% of the shares in an IPO and concurrent listing of common shares on the New York Stock Exchange marked the beginning of the separation in October 2015. The remaining parts of the split involved distributing FCA’s investment in Ferrari’s business among FCA shareholders, with Piero Ferrari continuing to retain 10% of it. The spin-off was finished on January 3, 2016.
The business has garnered attention for its ongoing involvement in racing throughout its history, particularly in Formula One, where it is the oldest and most successful racing team, having won the most constructors’ championships (16), as well as the most drivers’ championships (48). (15). Ferrari road vehicles are frequently regarded as a representation of riches, elegance, and speed. The 165,000 square meter (16.5 hectare) Maranello facility is where Ferrari automobiles are made. Ferrari was named the most powerful brand in the world in 2014 by Brand Finance. By market capitalization as of 2021, Ferrari ranks as the tenth-largest automaker at $52.21 billion.
GO BACK TO THE STARTING POINT
When the first Ferrari rolled out of the iconic factory gate on Via Abetone Inferiore in Maranello in 1947, the company’s history officially began. The 125 S, as it was known, represented the creator of the company’s zeal and tenacity.
Enzo Ferrari passed away on August 14, 1988, and he was born in Modena on February 18, 1898. He spent his entire life to creating sports automobiles, both on and off the track. After being appointed an official Alfa Romeo driver in 1924, he founded the Scuderia Ferrari on Viale Trento Trieste in Modena five years later, helping largely gentlemen drivers race their automobiles.
Enzo Ferrari was named the leader of Alfa Corse in 1938 but resigned from the position in 1939 to found his own business, Auto Avio Costruzioni, which was based in the former Scuderia facilities.
Two of the 1,500 cm3 8-cylinder 815 spiders made by this new business were constructed for the 1940 Mille Miglia.
The Second World War put an end to all racing operations, nevertheless, and in late 1943 Auto Avio Costruzioni relocated from Modena to Maranello. Ferrari created the 1,500 cm3 12-cylinder 125 S near the close of the war, and Franco Cortese drove it to victory on May 11, 1947, at the Piacenza Circuit.
It won the Rome Grand Prix at the Terme di Caracalla Circuit on the 25th of the same month. Since that critical day, Ferrari has amassed more than 5,000 victories on racetracks and public roads throughout the globe, solidifying its status as a modern legend. Enzo Ferrari sold the Fiat Group a 50% ownership in the business in 1969, and that percentage increased to 90% in 1988 in order to satisfy rising market demand.
The present ownership of Ferrari is as follows: 90% Fiat Group, 10% Piero Ferrari. The shareholders decided to revive the faltering business after the founder passed away in the late 1980s, and in 1991 they appointed Luca di Montezemolo as Chairman.
Under his direction, Ferrari regained its dominance in Formula 1, introduced a number of new models, and entered a number of new markets while maintaining its key principles from the past. Ferrari also started Formula Uomo, a significant redevelopment project that puts workers firmly at the center of corporate life by providing a bright, safe, cutting-edge, and environmentally friendly workplace.
Ferrari currently holds the following titles in motorsport: 15 F1 Drivers’ World Championships, 16 F1 Constructors’ World Championships, 14 Sports Car Manufacturers’ World Championships, 9 Le Mans 24 Hours victories, 8 Mille Miglia victories, 7 Targa Florio victories, and 216 F1 Grand Prix victories.
Ferrari’s fabled emblem has a heroic history. A highly distinguished Italian World War I aviator named Francesco Baracca originally used it as a personal symbol by having it painted on the plane’s fuselage.
Baracca’s parents volunteered to let Enzo Ferrari use the Cavallino Rampante (Prancing Horse) emblem after the war. It became the emblem for his racing team, the Scuderia, which he topped with the Italian tricolor and displayed on a yellow shield in recognition of his city of Modena.
However, in the early years of the 20th century, the International Automobile Federation simply designated Italian grand prix cars with the color known as Ferrari red.
Where did Ferrari have its start?
The first Ferrari model, the 125 S or 125 Sport, didn’t leave the factory door of the Via Abetone Inferiore in Maranello, Italy, until 1947, over ten years after Enzo departed Alfa. Initially, there were just two models made.
What was the inspiration for the name Ferrari?
Similar to the English and American surname “Smith,” Ferrari derives from the Italian ferraro, which means “blacksmith.” And like “Smith,” the Ferrari name is highly popular; in fact, it ranks third among surnames in Italy.
What shade was the original Ferrari?
What Shade Was the Original Ferrari? Red is obviously the most iconic Ferrari color, therefore it shouldn’t be a surprise that the initial versions were red.
Ferrari: Italian or French?
Enzo Ferrari founded the Scuderia Ferrari racing team in 1929, and the Italian company Ferrari has been making sports vehicles since 1947.
What do Ferrari enthusiasts go by?
The term “Tifosi” is frequently used to describe Scuderia Ferrari fans in Formula One. Even though they have also been ardent supporters of other Italian automobiles like Maserati, Lancia, and Alfa Romeo, Italian motor racing fans are well known for their love of Ferrari.
At the Italian Grand Prix, the Tifosi cover the grandstands with a sea of crimson, supplying Formula One. During Formula One weekends at every race circuit, a huge Ferrari flag is displayed in the grandstands, with particularly sizable contingents appearing in Ferrari livery at home and nearby European venues. This is one of the most common Tifosi sights. The San Marino race, which was held at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari near the town of Imola, 80 kilometers (49.7 miles) east of the Ferrari plant in Maranello, had a similar sight in previous years.
It’s not unusual for the Tifosi in Italy to cheer for a foreign driver in a Ferrari overtaking an Italian driver in a different brand of vehicle to take the lead in a race. When Riccardo Patrese crashed his Brabham out of the lead six laps from the finish line during the 1983 San Marino Grand Prix, giving Frenchman Patrick Tambay the victory in his Ferrari, the Imola crowd roared heartily. Only a half-lap earlier, Patrese himself had overtaken Tambay to take the lead.
The ascent of Michael Schumacher, who raced for Ferrari from 1996 to 2006 and helped the team win the Constructors’ Championship from 1999 to 2004, is directly responsible for their recent rise in the rankings.
Frenchman Jean-Louis Schlesser is one driver who never actually competed for Ferrari but is backed by the Tifosi. He filled in for a sick Nigel Mansell when driving for the Williams squad at the 1988 Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The leading McLaren-Honda of Ayrton Senna was destroyed in an accident at the Variante del Rettifilo chicane on lap 49 of the 51-lap race, giving Ferrari’s Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto an emotional victory in the Italian Grand Prix just one month after Enzo Ferrari’s passing. McLaren suffered their lone loss during Berger’s victory during the 16-race 1988 season.
2019 saw Ferrari win in Monza for the first time since 2010, and Charles Leclerc’s victory was celebrated by a large group of tifosi who gathered at the winner’s podium. There is a love-hate connection between the tifosi and Mercedes, who have consistently won in Monza from the beginning of the turbo hybrid era through 2018. David Croft confirmed this during the podium celebration. The tifosi would boo the driver whenever a Mercedes finished on the podium or won the Italian Grand Prix.
Why is a horse in the Ferrari logo?
It has grown to be among the most recognizable logos in the world and a representation of excellence. The name Ferrari is almost as recognizable as the company’s prancing horse, but where did it come from? According to the Italian company, Enzo Ferrari only mentioned the stallion’s lineage once.
Enzo Ferrari was a racer before he rose to renown for designing some of the most esteemed road and race cars. Having success with Alfa Romeo, Enzo took first place in the Coppa Acerbo race in Italy in 1924. The Scuderia Ferrari racing team was established in 1929 and competed in numerous categories with mostly Alfa Romeo vehicles.
One day, Ferrari came across the parents of renowned World War One flyer Francesco Baracca, whose aircraft’s fuselage featured a galloping horse. For good luck, they requested that he mount the stallion on his vehicles. To construct his logo, Enzo complied and added a yellow background—a color associated with Maranello.
At the Spa Grand Prix in 1932, the Alfa Romeos of Enzo’s Scuderia used a yellow shield with a black horse prance. The two entered cars finished first and second, proving that the lucky charm was effective. In 1933, Alfa withdrew from racing due to financial issues, leaving Scuderia Ferrari as the acting racing team. Later, the iconic symbol gained prominence and even appeared on the grille of the 1935 Alfa Romeo Bimotore.
Later, Alfa Romeo acquired interests in Scuderia Ferrari and turned it into Alfa Corse. Enzo permanently departed Alfa Romeo to start his own racing vehicle company after World War Two, which put an end to motor racing. It was agreed that he would have to wait four years before using the Ferrari name on his projects. His company started off creating machinery, but even when his new headquarters in Maranello were attacked, he continued to be passionate about motorsports during the war.
The 12-cylinder Tipo 125S manufactured by Ferrari once more proudly carried the prancing horse and the Ferrari trademark in 1947. The 1948 Italian Grand Prix marked the car’s debut, and the rest is history.