Ferrari. Everyone wants one. Everyone knows what this automobile stands for. Everyone takes note of when they see one around. But do you know a bit about its history? Not many do. Let’s take a brief look at where Ferrari comes from, as well as what makes them a car that everyone wishes he or she owns. These great cars just don’t appear out of thin air.
Ferrari: Some Background Info
Maranello and Modena, Italy is where the Ferrari calls home. Enzo Ferrari founded the company in 1929. It originally set out to sponsor drivers as well as manufacture some race cars. But in 1947 that changed when they began to produce street legal vehicles. This was the 125S. Even though the cars are most often associated with wealth and status they hit some financial troubles. This plagued them for years, until 1969 when they were sold to the Fiat group. This helped to give them solid financial backing. To this day, the Fiat Group still owns 85% of Ferrari.
Racing: A Ferrari Tradition
Because Ferrari began as a racing company, it is still something that they take great pride in doing. They collected their first win in 1949, and they joined Formula One in its first year of existence. Here is a list of their accomplishments in the sport of racing. They have: 14 World Drivers Championships, 14 World Constructors Championships. 179 Grand Prix victories, 3,445 and ½ points, 544 podium finishes, 11,182 overall laps lead, 174 pole positions, and 1,622 Grand Prix races contested. They are by no means a newcomer to the sport. They even have been home to one of Formula One’s most popular and successful drivers, Michael Schumacher.
Everybody knows the horse on the Ferrari symbol. It is something that many people have paid tribute to over the years. Thus another reason why Ferrari has become so popular. The exact logo is a black stallion on top of a yellow shield. There are three stripes of green, white and red at the top. Those are the national colors of Italy. Then the letters “S” and “F” are on there as well. That stands for Scuderia Ferrari.
Ferrari has done well with its dreams of being a great race car, along with a car that is made for the consumer. They will continue to be popular as long as they remain a symbol that everyone wants to be a part of. It is something very few have been able to accomplish. There is a good chance that no one will ever accomplish it quite like Ferrari has done for nearly a century.
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