Enzo Ferrari Biography - The Founder of Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix Motor Racing Team

Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari began his auto racing career in 1919. After retiring from racing in 1931, he joined Alfa Romeo and became the company's racing director. Following WWII, the Ferrari brand became well-known as its drivers won a slew of major championships. However, with the early loss of his son, the company's founder went through emotional upheaval, and financial difficulties pushed him to look into mergers with other automakers. In 1977, Ferrari formally retired as president of Ferrari, and he died in 1988.

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In Image: Young Enzo Ferrari.

Early Years 

Enzo Anselmo Ferrari was born in Modena, Italy, on February 18, 1898. Ferrari, the second child of metalworker parents Adalgisa and Alfredo, was bitten by the racing bug at the age of ten when his father took him to see a motor race in Bologna.

Ferrari also aspired to be an opera singer, but the flu deaths of his father and brother in 1916 pushed him to mature rapidly, and he dropped out of school to work as an instructor at Modena's fire department workshop. Ferrari enlisted in the Italian Army in 1917 and worked as a muleteer for the 3rd Alpine Artillery Division, battling the flu and earning an honourable discharge.

Personal Life

Enzo Ferrari lived a quiet life, giving only a few interviews. After the 1950s, he rarely left Modena and Maranello and never attended a Grand Prix outside of Italy. He was named after the late Dino Ferrari and was generally seen during the Grands Prix in Monza, near Milan, and/or Imola, not far from the Ferrari factory. His final recorded trip outside of the United States occurred in 1982 when he travelled to Paris to mediate a settlement between the feuding FISA and FOCA parties. He had never flown in an aeroplane or been in a lift.

On April 28, 1923, he married Laura Dominica Garello (c. 1900–1978), and they stayed married until her death in 1978. They had one son, Alfredo "Dino," who was born in 1932 and was supposed to be Enzo's successor, but he was unwell and died in 1956 from muscular dystrophy. In 1945, Enzo and his mistress Lina Lardi had a second son, Piero. Piero could only be identified as Enzo's son after Laura's death in 1978 because divorce was outlawed in Italy until 1975. Piero is now the vice-chairman of Ferrari and owns a 10% stake in the company.

Ferrari was awarded the Hammarskjöld Prize in 1962, the Columbus Prize in 1965, and the De Gasperi Award in 1987, in addition to his previous honours of Cavaliere and Commendatore in the 1920s. He also received a number of honorary degrees, including the Hammarskjöld Prize in 1962, the Columbus Prize in 1965, and the De Gasperi Award in 1987. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame posthumously in 1994. In the year 2000, he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.

Driving Career and Team Manager 

In 1919, Ferrari company owner Enzo Ferrari moved to Milan to work as a test driver for Costruzioni Meccaniche Nazionali. He made his debut in the 1919 Parma-Poggio di Berceto Hillclimb race, coming fourth in his division. The following year, he joined Alfa Romeo, leaving CMN behind.

Ferrari visited the parents of World War I flying ace Francesco Baracca after winning the Circuito del Savio in 1923, and they advised the young driver to adopt the symbol that adorned their son's plane for good luck. The symbol, a prancing horse, eventually came to signify the Ferrari marque's power and prestige. Ferrari married Laura Dominica Garello in the same year.

Ferrari, who was said to be afraid to destroy an engine by pushing it to its limits, won a number of races and was acknowledged by his country for his athletic accomplishments. For his Scuderia Ferrari, he assembled his own squad of drivers and engineers in 1929. (Ferrari Stable). The Scuderia, which was primarily made up of Alfa Romeos, quickly established itself as the company's official racing branch.

In August 1931, Ferrari competed in his final race, and in January 1932, he became a father with the birth of his beloved son Dino. Despite winning the German Grand Prix with one of his cars in 1935, he was forced to close his Scuderia in 1937 when Alfa Romeo recaptured its racing branch. In September 1939, he formally departed the company, with the proviso that he could not use the Ferrari brand in connection with racing or automobiles for at least four years.

Rise of Ferrari 

Ferrari formed Auto Avio Costruzioni in Modena soon after leaving Alfa Romeo and attempted to construct his own racing vehicles, but the outbreak of World War II forced the government to intervene. The company relocated its production to Maranello, where it specialised in the manufacture of grinding equipment.

After the war, Ferrari continued designing racing vehicles, and in March 1947, he took the first official Ferrari, the 125 S, for a test drive. That year, the marque won the Rome Grand Prix for the first time and went on to win the Mille Miglia in 1948, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1949, and the British Grand Prix in 1951. Alberto Ascari, a Ferrari driver, won the world racing championship in 1952 and 1953. Around this time, the firm began making road cars, with the affluent and famous waiting up for a chance to own one of these spectacular automobiles.

Personal and Company Turmoil 

Despite rocketing to the top of the racing sector in the 1950s, Ferrari went through a time of intense emotional upheaval. The death of his son Dino from muscular dystrophy in 1956 was the most devastating blow, turning him into a recluse. Six of his drivers were murdered between 1955 and 1965, and he was even charged for manslaughter (and acquitted) after one of his vehicles crashed into a crowd of spectators during the 1957 Mille Miglia, killing nine people.

In the "Palace Revolt" of 1961, Ferrari lost the services of several top engineers and executives, apparently due to a squabble over his wife's intrusive presence. He had serious conversations with Ford Motor Company about integrating their companies two years later but backed out at the last minute owing to fears about losing control. He eventually relinquished some control of the corporation in 1969, when he sold a 50% stake to Fiat due to financial difficulties.

Dino Ferrari, Ferrari's first son, died of muscular dystrophy in 1956, a tragic loss that drove Ferrari into seclusion.

Enzo Ferrari Death and Legacy 

In 1977, Ferrari technically resigned as president of Ferrari, although he effectively retained control of the company. After his wife died in 1978, he admitted to having another son, Piero, in 1945 with his mistress Lina Lardi.

Shortly after being conferred an honorary degree in physics from the University of Modena, Ferrari died in Maranello; no cause of death was given, although he was known to be suffering from kidney disease, Enzo Ferrari death date is August 14, 1988. Over the course of his career, he won over 4,000 races and 13 world titles with his vehicles. In 1994, he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame as a result of his achievements.

The Italian Grand Prix was staged mere weeks after Ferrari's death, and Ferrari finished 1–2 with Gerhard Berger of Austria leading home Italian and Milan native Michele Alboreto; it was McLaren's first race that season that they did not win. After Ferrari's death, the Scuderia Ferrari team continued to be successful, with Michael Schumacher winning the World Drivers' Championship in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004, and Kimi Räikkönen winning the World Constructors' Championship in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, and 2008.

Enzo Ferrari Accomplishment and Awards 

• In 1924, Ferrari founder was recognized by the state as a ‘Cavaliere’ for his outstanding contribution to the world of sports, and a 'Cavaliere Ufficiale' in 1925. He started ‘Corriere dello Sport’ in Bologna the following year to pursue his passion for sports journalism.

• He was given the title of ‘Commendatore' in 1927 for his service to Italian sports.

• Ferrari was given the title of ‘Cavaliere del Lavoro' in 1952 for his contribution to the automobile industry, which helped to improve the image of Italy around the world.

Enzo Ferrari Car 

The Enzo Ferrari, which was built in 2002 and is named after the company's founder, is a sports car with a 12-cylinder engine and a top speed of 218 mph. The Ferrari origin country is Italy, which was founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari.

Enzo Ferrari was an Italian racing driver who created the Ferrari sports car company. Ferrari automobiles are widely regarded as a sign of elegance and prosperity. Ferrari's track status has transferred into appeal as one of the most coveted luxury sports cars on the road. Aside from its speed, the Ferrari automobile is associated with panache and style, which may stem from Ferrari's own racing accomplishments.

Even if only a few individuals can afford a Ferrari, the Ferrari is an example of how technology created in the relatively elite world of formula one racing has been transferred to benefit a wider community through its application to the design and building of on-road cars. Many others enjoy the thrill of competing on the racetrack.

Interesting Facts About Enzo Ferrari 

Some of the Interesting Facts of the Enzo Ferrari are Given Below:

• Ferrari Company owner Enzo was a WWI Italian Army Veteran, nearly losing his life in the war.

• He was a test driver as well as a podium finisher in racing for two separate manufacturers: C.M.N and Alfa Romeo, but never for Ferrari.

• Enzo Ferrari formed and directed Scuderia Ferrari (a racing development team) before Ferrari became a manufacturer.

• Ferrari was given the classic black stallion logo by the mother of a prominent Italian aviator named Francesco Baracca. He was required by the Countess to use the symbol on his race cars. Ferrari is obliged to adopt the logo, which has been significantly tweaked to include a yellow backdrop.

• Enzo was also a journalist who co-founded a sports newspaper in Italy.

• He has received eight prizes and honours for his achievements in Italy, racing, and physics/engineering, in addition to being a decorated war veteran.

• In 1944, the original Ferrari plant was hit twice. The first Ferrari was built for the road only three years before.

• Almost every member of his immediate family perished before him as a result of illness-related complications. This included his adored son, Dino, to whom Ferrari's V6 mid-engine cars were dedicated.

• The famous Ferrari F40 was the last automobile to earn Enzo's personal approval.