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Enzo Ferrari was the founder of Ferrari and an Italian racing driver and entrepreneur who established the company in 1939 and Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947. He is best known for building one of the most successful teams in Formula One history and shaping Ferrari into a global symbol of performance and Italian engineering.
| Full name | Enzo Anselmo Ferrari |
|---|---|
| Born | February 18, 1898, Modena, Italy |
| Died | August 14, 1988, Maranello, Italy (aged 90) |
| Known as | Il Commendatore, il Drake |
| Scuderia Ferrari founded | November 16, 1929, Modena |
| Company founded | 1939 as Auto Avio Costruzioni; Ferrari S.p.A. 1947 |
| First Ferrari car | 1947 Ferrari 125 S, 1.5-liter V12 |
| F1 titles in his lifetime | 9 Drivers’, 8 Constructors’ |
| Children | Dino Ferrari (1932–1956), Piero Ferrari (b. 1945) |
Ferrari was born on February 18 but registered on February 20, after a snowstorm delayed his father’s trip to the registry office. Most records carry the later date.
The standard he set is still the one we sell. Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale is an Official Ferrari Dealer.
Enzo Ferrari was born on February 18, 1898, in Modena, Italy. His father’s metalworking shop exposed him early to mechanical craftsmanship.
His passion for racing began in 1908 after attending the Circuito di Bologna, where he watched Felice Nazzaro and Vincenzo Lancia compete.
After World War I—losing both his father and brother—Ferrari entered the automotive industry. Rejected by Fiat, he later became a test driver for Costruzioni Meccaniche Nazionali (CMN), starting his racing career.
Enzo Ferrari began racing after World War I, competing in events like the Targa Florio and Coppa Acerbo. In the early 1920s, he drove for Alfa Romeo, earning a reputation as a disciplined, technically minded driver.
He wasn’t the fastest of his era, but became known for his analytical approach and understanding of team dynamics. His most notable win came in 1924 at the Coppa Acerbo, strengthening his position within Alfa Romeo.
"We can not describe passion, we can only live it."
In 1929, Enzo Ferrari founded “Scuderia Ferrari” in Modena to prepare and manage Alfa Romeo race cars for private drivers.
What began as a support structure quickly evolved into one of Europe’s most influential racing teams. By the early 1930s, it effectively operated as Alfa Romeo’s official competition arm, with elite drivers and a highly organized technical operation.
This success transformed Ferrari’s reputation from driver to team principal and strategist, while laying the foundation for the automotive company that would later carry his name.
Ferrari was founded in 1939 as Auto Avio Costruzioni and officially became Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947, when the first Ferrari road car, the 125 S, was introduced.
From the start, Ferrari’s identity has been closely tied to motorsport, engineering excellence, and Italian craftsmanship.
Explore how Ferrari evolved into today’s lineup of performance vehicles on our Ferrari models page.
The terms of his exit from Alfa Romeo barred him from putting his own name on a car, so the company launched in 1939 as Auto Avio Costruzioni.
To keep the shop running, it took on machine-tool and aircraft component work. Racing was the ambition, but contract manufacturing paid for the building and the staff.
Its one car was the AAC 815, built in 1940 for the Brescia Grand Prix. Only two were made, both on Fiat underpinnings, and it was the first machine engineered entirely under his own direction.
The Ferrari prancing horse emblem traces back to 1923, when Enzo Ferrari met the parents of World War I pilot Francesco Baracca. His aircraft carried the black prancing horse, and his mother suggested Ferrari adopt it as a symbol.
Ferrari placed the horse on a yellow shield for Modena and added the Italian tricolor across the top. It first appeared on Scuderia Ferrari race cars before becoming the official badge in 1947.
Today, the prancing horse reflects Ferrari’s roots in aviation, racing, and Italian identity. For more, explore our Ferrari logo history blog.
Ferrari entered the inaugural Formula One World Championship in 1950 and has competed in every season since—an unmatched record in the sport.
Ferrari won nine Drivers’ and eight Constructors’ Championships during Enzo Ferrari’s lifetime, from Alberto Ascari in 1952 to Jody Scheckter in 1979.
No other team has entered every season since the championship began.
For Enzo Ferrari, Formula One was never just marketing. It was the ultimate proving ground for engineering and competition—a philosophy that still shapes Ferrari ownership today. Explore this further in our Ferrari Ownership Guide.
Scuderia Ferrari under Enzo Ferrari
Every Ferrari road car built between 1947 and 1988 was approved by one man. Enzo Ferrari treated road cars as a means to fund racing, which is why production numbers stayed small and the engineering stayed close to the track.
Road cars approved by Enzo Ferrari, 1947 to 1988
125 S
The first car to carry the Ferrari name, and the first of the V12s.
250 GTO
Built to win GT racing. Roughly three dozen were made, and it is now among the most valuable cars in the world.
365 GTB/4 Daytona
The front-engined grand tourer that set Ferrari’s road car character for a decade.
308 GTB
The mid-engine V8 that carried Ferrari into mainstream recognition.
Testarossa
The flagship that made Ferrari a household name well outside motorsport.
F40
Approved at eighty-nine, the last Ferrari he personally signed off on.
The F40 marked the company’s fortieth anniversary and remains the clearest statement of what he wanted a Ferrari to be. That logic still runs through the cars we sell today.
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Enzo Ferrari married Laura Dominica Garello in 1923. Their son Alfredo, called Dino, was born in 1932 and was raised to take over the company.
Dino died in 1956 at twenty-four after a long illness. Ferrari named the Dino V6 engine and the model line that followed after his son, and visited the grave nearly every day for the rest of his life.
A second son, Piero, was born in 1945 to Lina Lardi and was not publicly acknowledged until after Laura’s death in 1978. He is vice chairman of the company today and its second-largest shareholder.
The years after Dino’s death were the hardest of Ferrari’s career, and they shaped how he ran the company for the rest of his life.
In 1957 a Ferrari left the road at Guidizzolo during the Mille Miglia, killing the driver and several spectators. Ferrari was charged with manslaughter and spent years in the courts before the case was dismissed.
In 1961 eight senior managers walked out at once, in what became known as the palace revolt. Two years later he ended Ford’s talks to buy the company rather than hand over control of the race team.
Enzo Ferrari was known for demanding standards and an uncompromising focus on competition. He valued loyalty, discipline, and engineering excellence over popularity or mass-market growth.
He often said Ferrari built road cars to fund racing—not volume. This led to limited production, selective partnerships, and a strong focus on performance credibility. The result was a brand defined by exclusivity, precision, and intensity.
His leadership created a culture of pressure, ambition, and purpose that still shapes Ferrari today.
Ferrari is publicly traded today, though the family still holds a stake. See our full breakdown of who owns Ferrari.
Enzo Ferrari passed away on August 14, 1988, in Modena, marking the end of his direct leadership but not his influence.
His son, Piero Ferrari, remains a key shareholder, maintaining a connection to the company’s origins. Ferrari continues to operate from Maranello under principles established decades ago.
The last car he personally approved was the F40, signed off in 1987 at the age of 89.
Nearly forty years later Ferrari still builds to his terms: limited production, racing first, no volume for its own sake.
Born in Modena, above his father’s metalworking shop.
Founds Scuderia Ferrari to run Alfa Romeos for private drivers.
Leaves Alfa Romeo and starts his own company, barred from using his name.
The 125 S races at Piacenza, the first car to wear the Ferrari name.
Enters the first Formula One season and has never missed one since.
Ends the Ford buyout talks rather than give up control of the race team.
Approves the F40 at eighty-nine, the last Ferrari he signs off on.
Dies in Maranello, aged ninety.
Enzo Ferrari was born on February 18, 1898, in Modena, Italy. His birth was registered two days later, on February 20, after a snowstorm delayed his father’s trip to the registry office, which is why many records list the later date.
Enzo Ferrari founded Ferrari in 1939 in Modena, Italy. The company initially operated as Auto Avio Costruzioni before officially becoming Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947 with the introduction of the Ferrari 125 S.
Ferrari is named after its founder, Enzo Ferrari. The brand reflects his vision of combining racing excellence with high-performance road cars built on Italian engineering and design.
The first car to carry the Ferrari name was the Ferrari 125 S, introduced in 1947. It marked the official beginning of Ferrari as both a racing team and a manufacturer of road cars.
Enzo Ferrari had two sons. Alfredo, known as Dino, was born in 1932 and died in 1956 at twenty-four; the Dino model line was named after him. Piero Ferrari, born in 1945, is vice chairman of the company today and its second-largest shareholder.
Enzo Ferrari is best known for founding Ferrari and building one of the most successful teams in Formula One history. His legacy includes both racing dominance and the creation of one of the world’s most recognized luxury automotive brands.
Enzo Ferrari died on August 14, 1988, in Maranello, Italy, at the age of ninety. He had been in declining health for some time and died of kidney failure. His death was announced two days later, after a private funeral held at his own request.
Yes. The Ferrari Enzo was a limited-production hypercar built from 2002 to 2004 and named after the company’s founder, who had died fourteen years earlier. It is the only Ferrari road car to carry his full name. Browse our pre-owned Ferrari inventory for available V12 models.
Enzo Ferrari built road cars to fund racing. Nearly eighty years later, every car we sell still carries that logic. Start wherever you are.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (954) 715-7500 or read the Ferrari Ownership Guide.