2010 Ferarri Article

In his book, The Enzo Ferrari Memoirs, Enzo Ferrari explains:

"The story of this rampant horse is a simple and fascinating one.The emblem was emblazoned on the fighter plane of Francesco Baracca, the ace of World War I, who was shot down at Montello.

In 1923, when competing in the first Circuito del Savio, at Ravenna, I made acquaintance of Count Enrico Baracca, the hero's father; as a result of that meeting, I was subsequently introduced to the ace's mother, the Countess Paolina Baracca, who one day said to me: Ferrari, why don't you put my son's rampant horse on your car? It will bring you luck."

I still have Baracca's photograph, with his parents dedication in which they entrust the horse to me. The horse was, and has remained, black; whilst I myself added the gold field, this being the color of Modena."

Each time you see a Ferrari, the mystique never goes away. The name itself conjures up a history of professional racing prowess, winning, success and sex appeal that remains. To this day, the Ferrari name reigns supreme in the world of exotic cars. While other car companies strive to reach the standard that Ferrari has set, Ferarri remains in a class all its own.

When Enzo Ferrari founded his company in 1929, he could not have ever imagined that one of his cars would sell at auction for more 12 million dollars, an amount at least ten times more than his entire investment. His passion for automotive superiority helped him keep his focus on what he did best; build automotive racing cars that continue to define the standard for quality, performance and elegance.

The company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles in 1947. Throughout its history, Ferrari has been noted for its continued participation in racing, especially in Formula One where it has earned great success. Says Enzo:

‘When I decide to take part in a race, I don’t think about my competitors. I try to do my best, without telling myself ‘I must beat Mercedes or Maserati’. For me, the importance of a race is the technical result; that is, whether – given the same course and the same atmospheric conditions – established records have been broken. If so, progress has been made.”

The first racing car designed by Enzo Ferrari was the 1940 AAC 815, although it was not branded as a Ferrari model because he was still under contract to Alpha Romero.

The first Ferrari road car branded with his name was the 1947 125 S, powered by a 1.5 L V12 engine. While his beautiful and fast cars quickly gained a reputation for excellence, Enzo maintained a strong passion to build winning racing cars that oftentimes would compromise passenger amenities for high performance engines and handling. The 125 S used a steel tube-frame chassis, double wishbone suspension, transverse leaf springs in front and a live axle in the rear. Hydraulic power drum brakes were incorporated front and rear.

The model 250, the most successful early line, was built from 1953 to 1964. The car included several variations. In all, thirty-four 250 Testa Rossas were built. The phrase "Testa Rossa" means "red head." The most well known, the 250TR, was produced from 1957 to 1958.

This 1957 Ferrari 250 TR sold at auction for $12,156,252 (€9,020,000) in 2009.

The sight of a Ferrari on the road speaks volumes to elegance, style and panache. You don’t just own a Ferrari; you invest in motorsport excellence. RM Auctions and Sotheby's made history recently, selling a 1957 Ferrari 250 TR for $12,156,252 (€9,020,000), at that time a world record for most expensive car sold at auction.

During the early years, the mixture of twelve cylinder engines designed and produced for street or racing by Ferrari is remarkable. On into the 1960’s the company continued to develop and design cars that set standards for street and racing performance, along with classic line and stunning presence.

Some of the cars built by the company include:

Sports cars

2-seat Gran Turismo

Mid-engine V6/V8

Mid-engine 2+2

Front-engine 2+2

Mid-engine 12-cylinder

Supercars

Concept models and one-off specials

You can get more detailed information about these legendary motorcars at http://www.focsandiego.com/", the Ferrari Club of San Diego and www.ferrariclubofamerica.org/".