If I said, "Italian car manufacturer," the first brand that would pop into your mind is Ferrari. Although automakers such as Lamborghini, Maserati, and Alfa Romeo have established a name in the market, none have garnered as much fame as Ferrari.
Numerous supercar models have appeared on the market but could not make the same impact on consumers as Ferrari had. When founder Enzo Ferrari began fantasizing about building cars at age 10, he had no idea that he would build one of the most prominent brands in automotive history. Enzo was passionate about racing and wanted to build cars for the track, but his products gained the attention of the mainstream that wanted to drive his vehicles. Enzo said, "Everyone dreams of driving a Ferrari; it was my intent from the start." He was right.
The sad part of his statement is that only the minority of the world's population can afford a Ferrari. That is one the major appeals of owning a Ferrari. Driving a Ferrari means more than cruising down the highway at blistering speeds; it is an experience. Many car enthusiasts are infatuated with the Ferrari brand, but most know little about it. We wanted to share Ferrari's history with the brand's fans, so we compiled a list of facts that most people do not know about the Italian manufacturer.
25 The First Car Wasn't Called A Ferrari
Enzo built the first Ferrari, but the car didn't foster the name that the market knows today. The first car that Enzo built was called Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, later shortened to Tipo 815. Enzo could not name the car after himself due to legal reasons. Enzo had left Alfa Romeo at the time of designing the Tipo 815, but he was still contractually obligated as a designer.
A clause in the contract prohibited Enzo from manufacturing a car under his name. The Tipo 815 was a two-seater barchetta with a 1.5-liter engine, according to Money Inc.
24 A Few Models Have The Name Testarossa
Not only one Ferrari model contains the name Testarossa. The word means 'redhead,' which is a good choice considering most of the Ferrari models are red. Ferrari used the name for the first time in 1958 to distinguish a 3.5-liter 12-cylinder engine. While a typical engine is black or silver, the 1958 model that Ferrari named the Testarossa had a red engine, making the name more appropriate.
Then, Ferrari used the name for the second time in 1984 for a supercar that had a mid-engine layout.
23 Enzo Almost Sold The Company To Ford
Henry Ford loved cars and planned to dominate the automobile market. With the rise in popularity of Ferrari, Ford thought that owning the Italian manufacturer would cement his dominance in the automobile industry. Enzo and Henry reached an agreement, which Enzo backed out of before signing the sales papers.
The deed angered Henry, who instructed his engineers to build a car that would beat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ford's anger spawned the Ford GT40, which beat Ferrari at the race event.
22 The F50 Was For The Anniversary Celebration
Although Ferrari makes extravagant vehicles, the Italian manufacturer attached a sentimental meaning to the production of certain cars. When the company celebrated its 50th anniversary, the Italian manufacturer released a special model to celebrate the event.
Ferrari dubbed the car the F50. The Italian manufacturer built only 349 models and charged around $680,000 for the car. The inspiration for the design of the car was the Ferrari 641, which racing driver Alain Prost drove.
21 Ferrari Was The First Team To Reach 100 Grand Prix Victories
One of the reasons that Ferrari garnered numerous victories in professional racing was due to Enzo's desire to build incredible race cars. Michael Schumacher was one of the Formula 1 drivers to add several milestones to the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but the Italian automaker achieved notable milestones before him.
Ferrari gained many pole positions since entering Formula 1 racing, but the fact that most Ferrari fans don't know is that the team was the first to reach 100 victories on the racetrack. Alain Prost achieved the 100th victory at the French Grand Prix in 1990.
20 Ferrari Is The Only Automaker To Own A Racetrack
Considering Ferrari wants to maintain its position as a manufacturer that produces some of the most magnificent sports cars on the planet, the automaker needs to test its vehicles before unveiling it to the market. Ferrari doesn't test its cars on any track, as the Italian manufacturer owns a racetrack called The Pista di Fiorano.
The Fiorano is a 1,86-mile race track with each corner designed to test certain aspects of the car's brakes, chassis, road capabilities, and other features, according to the Huffington Post.
19 Ferrari Angered Ferruccio, Who Established Lamborghini
Henry Ford wasn't the only auto-engineer who had a bad taste in his mouth after dealing with Enzo; Ferruccio Lamborghini was another. Lamborghini was dissatisfied with the clutch of the Ferrari 250GT 2+2 that he owned. When Lamborghini confronted Enzo about the problem, the Ferrari owner responded, “Stick to making tractors, I’ll stick to making cars.”
At the time, Lamborghini made tractors, but his encounter with Enzo prompted him to compete in the supercar market with Ferrari.
18 The Prancing Horse Logo Represents Luck
Ferrari isn't the only automaker to use the prancing horse logo, as Porsche also uses a similar symbol, which faces left like Ferrari's logo. The inspiration for Ferrari's logo was a veteran called Francesco Baracca, who drew the prancing horse for luck.
Baracca's mother told Enzo to use the prancing horse on his cars also for luck. Perhaps, the prancing logo grants luck to users, as Ferrari and Porsche have established a global presence in the automobile market.
17 The 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO Is The World's Most Expensive Vehicle
The best way to discover how much a vehicle is worth is by asking buyers. The way manufacturers do that is by auctioning its vehicles. When the 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta went on auction at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Élégance in 2014, the highest bid for the car was $38.1 million.
If you thought that was an exorbitant amount, then wait till you find out the price for the same car the previous year. According to Motor Sport, an unidentified buyer took home the same model for $52 million.
16 The 400th Ferrari Enzo Went To The Pope
You don't have to be a Ferrari enthusiast to receive a Ferrari; all you have to do is become a prominent figure, as the Vatican found out in 2004. Ferrari had built 399 models of one of its most iconic cars called the Ferrari Enzo. The limited production run ended when Ferrari produced the 400th car, which it donated to the Pope.
The Pope didn't drive it, but he did autograph it. The car was auctioned off at Sotheby's for $1,1 million, proceeds went to charity, according to Autowise.
15 Several Car Manufacturers Use A Ferrari Engine
Why wouldn't they? One of the best engines on the road is a Ferrari, so you shouldn't be surprised to find out that other car manufacturers use the magnificent engine in its vehicles. Some of the cars that have fostered the Ferrari engine include the ASA 1000 GT and Spider, Maserati Coupe, Spyder, Gran Turismo, Fiat Dino Spider and the most recent was Alfa Rome Giulia.
Considering that Italian manufacturers have borrowed Ferrari's engine, other car manufacturers should do the same.
14 The Theme Park Is In Abu Dhabi
If you thought that Ferrari owning a race track was awesome, then you'll be flabbergasted to know that the Italian manufacturer also owns a theme park. The mostly indoor amusement park is the first Ferrari branded theme park and holds the record for the largest space frame structure built.
The theme park won an award for Middle East's Leading Tourist attraction at the world travel awards in 2015 and 2016. The theme park is also home to the world's fastest roller coaster ride.
13 DJ Deadmau5 Received A Cease And Desist From Ferrari
Keep your Ferrari in mint condition; otherwise, the Italian manufacturer will strip you of ownership. Deadmau5 is an eccentric DJ who makes unique music and owns strange-looking cars. When the EDM DJ wrapped his Ferrari in a cat meme design, Ferrari was displeased with the way the vehicle looked and issued him a cease and desist letter.
Deadmau5 sold the car he dubbed the Purrari but bought a Lamborghini Huracan and used the same wrapping, calling the vehicle 'Purracan."
12 The Red Color Wasn't Enzo's Choice
The traditional color of Ferrari that fans have become accustomed to and love is red. Although most Ferrari models look stunning in red, Enzo didn't choose the color. Since Enzo built cars for the track, he needed to comply with regulations. According to Mental Floss, red was the color that the International Automobile Federation assigned to all Italian Grand Prix race cars in the early years of auto racing.
Red Ferrari cars are the most popular choice among consumers, as the vehicles make up 45% of Ferrari's sales.
11 Consumers Can Customize Every Element Of The Car
The best part about owning a Ferrari is that you can design it the way you want. Ferrari's Tailor Made program allows consumers to personalize every component of their vehicle. Ferrari runs the program at the Maranello factory, where consumers can select colors, interior trims, accessories, and finishes.
Three collections are available: Scuderia, Classica, and Inedita. Once the consumer has customized the vehicle, he or she can wait up to two years for the vehicle. Eric Clapton is one of the consumers who customized his Ferrari to the value of $4.7 million.
10 The Merchandise And Licensing Is Big Business
Selling Ferrari cars constitutes the majority of the revenue that the Italian manufacturer generates. Since Ferrari has made a big impact on fans in Formula 1, the sales of its merchandise have soared. The brand owns several boutiques around the world that generate more than $1.5 billion in sales.
The shops stock Ferrari colognes, clothes, watches, sunglasses, shoes, mobile phone covers and scale models of the cars. A model Ferrari F14T at 1:8 scale costs $5,400 at one of the boutiques.
9 The Chairman Limited Annual Production To 7,000 Units
The whole point of driving a Ferrari is the exclusivity that it grants the owners. Since most people cannot own a Ferrari, the ones who do feel special. That was the intent of former chairman Luca di Cordero Montezemolo.
“The exclusivity of Ferrari is fundamental for the value of our products. We made the decision to make fewer cars because otherwise, we risk injecting too many cars on the market," said Montezemolo. When Sergio Marchionne took the post in 2014, he increased the production to 7,200 annual units, with intent to reach 10,000.
8 Ferrari Built Streetcars To Fund The Racing Team
Earlier, we mentioned that Enzo was a racing enthusiast who loved to build cars for the track. Building race cars is an expensive profession that requires a tremendous amount of resources. When the Ferrari factory suffered irreparable damage to the property and its cars, the Italian manufacturer produced streetcars to fund the racing car's project.
The cars proved to be a huge success among consumers, so the Italian manufacturer continued building the cars to cash in on the hype.
7 Enzo's Last Build Was The F40
The F40 should be an iconic vehicle considering that the car was the last vehicle that the brand's owner built. While that should be enough to make news, what made the F40 more iconic was that most car pundits considered it as the most aerodynamic car of its time. The irony that the manufacturing of the F40 boasts is that Enzo said, "Aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines."
Enzo might have swallowed his words and wiped the egg off his face, but he also pocketed plenty of money from the F40.
6 Some People Thought Enzo Was A Bad Person
Building a huge empire requires the entrepreneur to develop a thick skin. Some entrepreneurs become so shrewd in business that they forget to be nice to people. Enzo created a phenomenal car brand that will live for many years to come, but he didn't do it without stepping on a few toes.
When Enzo's chief designer described his boss, he said about Enzo, "As a businessman, he is excellent. As a human being, he is a zero." Not a nice thing to say, but honesty is the best policy.