Frequently Asked Questions about Classic Ferrari

Who founded Ferrari and when?

Enzo Ferrari founded the company. He set up the Scuderia Ferrari racing team in Modena in 1929, at first to race Alfa Romeo cars, and in 1939 he started his own firm under the name Auto Avio Costruzioni. The first car to carry the Ferrari name, the 125 S, followed in 1947.

What was the first Ferrari car?

The first car to wear the Ferrari badge was the 125 S of 1947. It used a 1.5-liter V12 designed by Gioacchino Colombo, rated at 118 hp at 6,800 rpm, and made its racing debut at Piacenza on May 11, 1947, with Franco Cortese driving. Cortese retired from that race with a fuel pump problem, and the car won the Rome Grand Prix later that month.

Where are Ferrari cars built?

Ferrari cars are built in Maranello, Italy. Enzo Ferrari moved his company there from Modena in 1943, and the first Ferrari-badged car left the Maranello works in 1947. The company still designs, engineers and produces its cars there. Bodies for some classic models, including the 308 GTB, were built by the coachbuilder Scaglietti to Pininfarina designs.

What does the Ferrari prancing horse mean?

The prancing horse was the emblem of Francesco Baracca, an Italian fighter ace of World War I, who carried it on his aircraft. After Enzo Ferrari won the Savio circuit race at Ravenna in 1923, Baracca's mother, Countess Paolina, suggested he use it for good luck. Ferrari added a yellow background, the color of Modena, and his team first raced with the badge in 1932 on Alfa Romeo 8C cars.

Is Ferrari still owned by Fiat?

Ferrari is no longer part of Fiat and has been an independent, publicly traded company since January 2016. Fiat bought a 50 percent stake in 1969 and raised it to 90 percent in 1988 after Enzo Ferrari's death, with his son Piero holding the other 10 percent. Fiat Chrysler floated Ferrari shares on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2015 and then completed the separation.

How do you authenticate a classic Ferrari?

The factory's own check is the Ferrari Classiche Certificate of Authenticity, which Ferrari describes as the only official document certifying that a car matches its original specification. Classiche staff inspect the chassis, engine, gearbox, suspension, brakes, wheels, bodywork and interior against factory archive records kept for every car since 1947. Road cars at least 20 years old are eligible, and the process starts at an authorized dealer or in Maranello.

What do the numbers in Ferrari model names mean?

On classic Ferraris the number usually describes the engine. For years models were named for the displacement of one cylinder in cubic centimeters, so the 125 S had a 1.5-liter V12 and the 250 series a 3.0-liter V12. Other cars, such as the 308, combined total displacement with the cylinder count, in that case about 3.0 liters and a V8.

Who imported Ferrari cars to the United States?

Luigi Chinetti, an Italian-born racing driver, became Ferrari's official importer in the United States. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times, in 1932, 1934 and 1949, and the 1949 victory was Ferrari's first in that race. He later founded the North American Racing Team, known as NART, which raced Ferraris and won Le Mans outright in 1965 with Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt.