Enzo Ferrari

Enzo Ferrari: You can read here, about his life as a race driver, and boss of the team that uses his name. It is not hard to see that he is the founder of Ferrari and even gave the company his name. Enzo Ferrari didn't just found this company, he was all his life the head of the company in which he ruled until his death in 1988. He died 08.14.1988 with the age of 90, but his name and spirit will live forever!

He was an Italian race driver and race car manufacturer, one of the most successful and influentional persons in car racing.  The in Modena born and raised Enzo drove in the twenties and thirties for Alfa Romeo. He founded in 1929 the Scuderia Ferrari. He built and drove his first car under the company name Avio Constuzzioni in 1940. The first real Ferrari 375 was a V-12-model with a 4.5 Liter engine and dominated Grand-Prix racing in 1951. Ferrari took over Lancia and their Lancia D50 and had a huge success 1956 and 1957. In 1957 they developed the "Dino Ferrari". Mike Hawthorn was very successful with this car between 1958 and 1960. In 1961 Model Tipo 156, with a 1.5 Liter engine, as well as in 1964 developed 158, have been used more than successful. The 3-Liter-model was also above average in 1966. A lot of different Ferraris had especially been produced as race-, Formula 2-, prototype-, and Tasman-racecars. Ferrari rose to one of the top of the racecar manufacturer. In 1969 he sold 50% of his company to FIAT. They won eight times the constructor's championship as he was CEO of the Scuderia.

Enzo Ferrari was 10 as he and his Dad, owner of a iron foundry, visited the race track of Bologna. He became an instant fan of Lancia-driver Nazzaro, this got him into racing. After the early death of his father, he started working in a friends car repair shop in Turin and graduated from the university in Modena. After WWI he became test and race driver for CMN (Construzioni Meccaniche Nazionale) in Milano. Enzo Ferrari's first race was 1919 near Parma–Berceto. In the same year he started for the first time in the Targa Florio race on Sicily .

How did his life continue?

In 1920 he switched to the Alfa-Romeo race team. He drove for them until 1931. He won 13 of 47 races; one of his biggest success was the  second place in the Targa Florio 1920. In 1929 Ferrari founded his own team, the „Scuderia Ferrari”. At first they continued using the Alfa-Romeo race cars. After his retirement from the active racing, he became VP of the Alfa-Romeo-Team. This Co-operation ended 1939 with the edition, to not become active in racing for the following 4 years. „Scuderia Ferrari” became independent the same year. Ferrari moved 1943 from Modena to Maranello. In 1946 they produced their first Ferrari race car, which had a V12/2 Liter engine, constructed by Gioacchino Colombo. The first Ferrari-driver wins a race in 1947. Ferrari had sent their cars into the Formula 1-Series in the year 1950. Their first Grand-Prix-victory was 1951 in Silverstone under driver Froilan Gonzalex. The first Ferrari  World champion was Alberto Ascari in the year 1952. The following years Ferrari was under the top teams in the Formula 1.

How was his life?

He brought people in a rage. He already had been a living legend: Enzo Ferrari, CEO of the most famous race car producers of the world. They called him the dictator ("il Commendatore"). He had literally ruled in his empire; he had been dreaded by others, as well as honored, and noted - far beyond the motor sport. He was always a very difficult person to deal with. He was already very old as he still managed every tiny bit of his company. He always put a lot of pressure on his drivers, but he called them "his sons". He watched on a screen every test drive and demanded a call to his home in Modena after every race. Despite world fame, wealth, and daily 16 hours work he meant: "I cannot afford a Ferrari."

He had a "strange" marriage with the dancer Laura Garello, the mother of his first son Alfredo, called Dino. The death of his son in the year 1956 broke his heart. Ferrari suffered badly, and wore for years and years a black tie and visited his son's grave daily. After WWII he started a relationship with his friend and employee Lina Lardi. She gave birth to son Piero Lardi in 1945. Laura accepted Piero later on, got adopted and is currently the VP of Ferrari under CEO Luca di Montezemolo.

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