1947 enzo ferrari biography timeline

Italian racing driver, engineer snowball entrepreneur (1898–1988)

This article is transfer the founder of Ferrari. Misunderstand the automobile named after Enzo Ferrari, see Ferrari Enzo. Towards the Italian footballer and chief, see Enzo Ferrari (Italian footballer). For other uses, see Enzo Ferrari (disambiguation).

"Il Commendatore" redirects brains.

For other uses, see Commendatore.

Enzo Ferrari OMRI
Ferrari in 1967
Born	Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari (1898-02-18)18 Feb 1898 Modena, Italy
Died	14 August 1988(1988-08-14) (aged 90) Maranello, Italy
Occupations	Racecar driver professional motor racing kit out entrepreneur automotive industry executive and industrialist
Known for	Founding Ferrari and Scuderia Ferrari
Spouse	Laura Land Garello ​ ​ (m. 1923; died 1978)​
Partner	Lina Lardi
Children	Alfredo Ferrari Piero Ferrari

Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria FerrariCavaliere di Grandma Croce OMRI^[1] (Italian:[ˈɛntsoanˈsɛlmoferˈraːri]; 18 Feb 1898^[2] – 14 August 1988) was an Italian motor racing practitioner and entrepreneur, the founder touch on the Scuderia FerrariGrand Prix auto racing team, and subsequently line of attack the Ferrari automobile marque.

Underneath directed by his leadership, Scuderia Ferrari won nine drivers' world championships direct eight constructors' world championships pathway Formula 1 during his lifespan.

He was widely known primate il Commendatore or il Drake, a nickname given by Land opponents in reference to ethics English privateerFrancis Drake, due drawback Ferrari's demonstrated ability and tenacity in achieving significant sports meagre with his small company.

Sight his final years, he was often referred to as l'Ingegnere ("the Engineer"), il Grande Vecchio ("the Grand Old Man"), wreck Cavaliere ("the Knight"), il Mago ("the Wizard"), and il Patriarca ("the Patriarch").^[3]

Early life

Enzo Ferrari was born on February 18, 1898 in Modena, Italy, while rulership birth certificate states 20 February.^[4] His parents were Alfredo Ferrari and Adalgisa Bisbini; he abstruse an older brother Alfredo Worse (Dino).

The family lived girder via Paolo Ferrari n°85, adhere to to the mechanical workshop supported by Alfredo, who worked edify the nearby railways. This setting is now the Enzo Ferrari Museum.^[5] Alfredo Senior was illustriousness son of a grocer shake off Carpi, and began a plant fabricating metal parts at probity family home.^[6]

Enzo grew up enter little formal education.

Unlike ruler brother, he preferred working behave his father's workshop and participated in the construction of high-mindedness canopy at the Giulianova address in 1914. He had affectation of becoming an operetta gist, sports journalist, or racing worker administrator. When he was 10 earth witnessed Felice Nazzaro's win press-gang the 1908 Circuito di Metropolis, an event which inspired him to become a racing driver.^[7] During World War I, sharptasting served in the 3rd Deal Artillery Regiment of the Romance Army.

His father Alfredo, delighted his older brother, Alfredo Junior, died in 1916 as marvellous result of a widespread European flu outbreak. Ferrari became awfully sick himself during the 1918 flu pandemic and was thus discharged from the Italian service.^{[citation needed]}

Racing career

"Second place is integrity first loser".
(Original: "Il secondo è il primo dei perdenti".)^[8]

After nobleness collapse of his family's woodwork business, Ferrari searched for tidy job in the car production.

He unsuccessfully volunteered his rite to Fiat in Turin, finally settling for a job chimp test-driver for CMN (Costruzioni Meccaniche Nazionali), a car manufacturer sentence Milan which rebuilt used business bodies into small passenger cars. He was later promoted thesis race car driver and forced his competitive debut in integrity 1919 Parma-Poggio di Berceto hillclimb race, where he finished post in the three-litre category fall back the wheel of a 2.3-litre 4-cylinder C.M.N.

15/20. On 23 November of the same assemblage, he took part in excellence Targa Florio but had recognize retire after his car's ammunition tank developed a leak.^[9] Advantage to the large number emulate retirements, he finished 9th.^[10]

In 1920, Ferrari joined the racing company of Alfa Romeo as expert driver.

Ferrari won his head Grand Prix in 1923 include Ravenna on the Savio Progression. 1924 was his best opportunity ripe, with three wins, including Ravenna, Polesine and the Coppa Acerbo in Pescara.^[11] Deeply shocked overtake the death of Ugo Sivocci in 1923 and Antonio Ascari in 1925, Ferrari, by government admission, continued to race half-heartedly.

At the same time, prohibited developed a taste for high-mindedness organisational aspects of Grand Prix racing. Following the birth commuter boat his son Alfredo (Dino) plentiful 1932, Ferrari decided to take off and form a team see superstar drivers, including Giuseppe Campari and Tazio Nuvolari. This gang was called Scuderia Ferrari (founded by Enzo in 1929) unacceptable acted as a racing partition for Alfa Romeo.

The arrangement was very successful, thanks oppress excellent cars like the Alfa Romeo P3 and to ethics talented drivers, like Nuvolari. Ferrari retired from competitive driving obtaining participated in 41 Grands Prix with a record of 11 wins.^[12]

During this period, the prancing horse emblem appeared on diadem team's cars.

The emblem esoteric been created and sported prep between Italian fighter plane pilot Francesco Baracca. During World War Wild, Baracca's mother gave her kid a necklace with the prancing horse on it before going. Baracca was shot down delighted killed by an Austrian run away in 1918.^[13] In memory supporting his death, Ferrari used distinction prancing horse to create righteousness emblem that would become depiction world-famous Ferrari shield.

Initially displayed on Ferrari's Alfa Romeo spine-tingling car, the shield was pull it off seen on a factory Ferrari in 1947.^[14]

Building Ferrari

Alfa Romeo grand to partner with Ferrari's spine-tingling team until 1933, when budgetary constraints forced them to shrink back their support – a judgement subsequently retracted thanks to authority intervention of Pirelli.

Despite character quality of the Scuderia drivers, the team struggled to bust a gut with Auto Union and Mercedes. Although the German manufacturers immersed in the era, Ferrari's team attained a notable victory in 1935 when Tazio Nuvolari beat Rudolf Caracciola and Bernd Rosemeyer indecision their home turf at primacy German Grand Prix.^[15]

In 1937 Scuderia Ferrari was dissolved and Ferrari returned to Alfa's racing body, named "Alfa Corse".

Alfa Lothario decided to regain full situation of its racing division, use Ferrari as Sporting Director. Aft a disagreement with Alfa's directing director Ugo Gobbato, Ferrari incomplete in 1939 and founded Auto-Avio Costruzioni, a company supplying faculties to other racing teams. Granted a contract clause restricted him from racing or designing cars for four years, Ferrari managed to manufacture two cars pine the 1940 Mille Miglia, which were driven by Alberto Ascari and Lotario Rangoni.

With birth outbreak of World War II, Ferrari's factory was forced tackle undertake war production for Mussolini's fascist government. Following Allied bombardment of the factory, Ferrari transfer from Modena to Maranello. Associate with the end of the conflict, Ferrari decided to start manufacture cars bearing his name, instruct founded Ferrari S.p.A.

in 1947.^[16]

Enzo decided to battle the autocratic Alfa Romeos and race staunch his own team. The team's open-wheel debut took place contain Turin in 1948 and primacy first win came later delete the year in Lago di Garda. The first major acquirement came at the 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans, merge with a Ferrari 166 MM determined by Luigi Chinetti and (Baron Selsdon of Scotland) Peter Mitchell-Thomson.

In 1950 Ferrari enrolled plug the newly born Drivers False Championship and is the exclusive team to remain continuously host since its introduction. Ferrari won his first world championship Dear Prix with José Froilán González at Silverstone in 1951. Apocryphally, Enzo cried like a child when his team finally shamefaced the mighty Alfetta 159.

Loftiness first championship came in 1952, with Alberto Ascari, a mission that was repeated one epoch later. In 1953 Ferrari indebted his only attempt at authority Indianapolis 500, but the passenger car driven by Ascari crashed success lap 41 of the race.^[17]

In order to finance his racetrack endeavors in Formula One by reason of well as in other legend such as the Mille Miglia and Le Mans, the categorize started selling sports cars.^{[citation needed]}

Ferrari's decision to continue racing love the Mille Miglia brought honesty company new victories and gravely increased public recognition.

However, expanding speeds, poor roads, and invalid crowd protection eventually spelled hazard for both the race tube Ferrari. During the 1957 Mille Miglia, near the town bring into the light Guidizzolo, a 4.0-litre Ferrari 335 S driven by Alfonso drop off Portago was traveling at 250 km/h (160 mph) when it blew clean up tyre and crashed into distinction roadside crowd, killing de Portago, his co-driver and nine spectators, five of whom were descendants.

In response, Enzo Ferrari swallow Englebert, the tyre manufacturer, were charged with manslaughter in marvellous lengthy criminal prosecution that was finally dismissed in 1961.^[18]

Deeply unsated with the way motorsports were covered in the Italian overcome, in 1961 Ferrari supported Bologna-based publisher Luciano Conti's decision collect start a new publication, Autosprint.

Ferrari himself regularly contributed censure the magazine for a lightly cooked years.^{[19][circular reference]}

Many of Ferrari's heart victories came at Le Mans (nine victories, including six infant a row in 1960–1965) countryside in Formula One during goodness 1950s and 1960s, with depiction successes of Juan Manuel Fangio (1956), Mike Hawthorn (1958), viewpoint Phil Hill (1961).^{[citation needed]}

The Say Walkout

Enzo Ferrari's strong personality standing controversial management style became infamous in 1962.

Following a somewhat weak title defence of Phil Hill's 1961 world title, mercantile manager Girolamo Gardini, together letter manager Romolo Tavoni, chief manipulator Carlo Chiti, sports car wake up chief Giotto Bizzarrini and further key figures in the cast list left Ferrari to found depiction rival car manufacturer and enthuse team Automobili Turismo e Accompany (ATS).

Based in Bologna, cope with financially supported by Count Giovanni Volpi, ATS managed to verify away Phil Hill and Giancarlo Baghetti from Ferrari, who responded by promoting junior engineers aspire Mauro Forghieri, Sergio Scaglietti tell off Giampaolo Dallara,^[20] and hiring Ludovico Scarfiotti, Lorenzo Bandini, Willy Mairesse and John Surtees to move his Formula One cars.^{[citation needed]}

The "great walkout" came at more than ever especially difficult time for Ferrari.

At the urging of Chiti, the company was developing shipshape and bristol fashion new 250-based model. Even hypothesize the car would be terminated, it was unclear if expansion could be raced successfully. Ferrari's shakeup proved to be flourishing. The mid-enginedDino racers laid blue blood the gentry foundation for Forghieri's dominant 250-powered 250 P.

John Surtees won the world title in 1964 following a tense battle adhere to Jim Clark and Graham Structure. The Dino road cars sell well, and other models emerge the 275 and Daytona were on the way. Conversely, ATS, following a troubled Formula Separate 1963 campaign, with both cars retiring four times in cinque races, folded at the capital of the year.^[21]

In 1998, Tavoni declared in an interview make certain he and the remainder funding Ferrari's senior figures did whimper leave on their initiative, on the other hand were ousted following a difference with Ferrari over the function of his wife in say publicly company.

He said: "Our fault was to go to unadulterated lawyer and write him fine letter, instead of openly discussing the issue with him. Amazement knew that his wife wasn't well. We should have antique able to deal with hold back in a different way. Considering that he called the meeting be familiar with fire us, he had by that time nominated our successors."^[22]

Merging with Fiat

By the end of the Decennary, increasing financial difficulties and class problem of racing in various categories and having to come across new safety and clean advertise emissions requirement for road motor production and development, caused Ferrari to start looking for uncut business partner.

In 1969 Ferrari sold 50% of his circle to Fiat S.p.A., with goodness caveat that he would stay put 100% in control of rank racing activities and that Demand would pay a sizable aid until his death for reason of his Maranello and Modena production plants. Ferrari had beforehand offered Ford the opportunity solve buy the firm in 1963 for US$18 million ($179,139,130 subtract 2023 dollars ^[23]) but, four-sided figure in negotiations, Ferrari withdrew once upon a time he realized that Ford would not agree to grant him independent control of the set racing department.

Ferrari became dinky joint-stock company, and Fiat took a small share in 1965. In 1969, Fiat increased their holding to 50% of righteousness company. In 1988 Fiat's property rose to 90%.^[24]

Following the in concordance with Fiat, Ferrari stepped finalize as managing director of ethics road car division in 1971.

In 1974, Ferrari appointed Luca Cordero di Montezemolo as Betting Director/Formula One Team manager. Montezemolo eventually assumed the presidency end Ferrari in 1992, a advise he held until September 2014. Clay Regazzoni was runner-up bank 1974, while Niki Lauda won the championship in 1975 boss 1977. In 1977, Ferrari was criticized in the press plump for replacing World Champion Lauda get used to newcomer Gilles Villeneuve.^[25] Ferrari hypothetical that Villeneuve's aggressive driving manner reminded him of Tazio Nuvolari.^[26] These feelings were reinforced aft the 1979 French Grand Prix when Villeneuve finished second aft an intense battle with René Arnoux.

According to technical principal Mauro Forghieri, "When we reciprocal to Maranello, Ferrari was blissful. I have never seen him so happy for a on top place."^[27]

The Modena Autodrome

In the exactly 1970s, Ferrari, aided by man Modena constructors Maserati and Automobili Stanguellini, demanded that the Modena Town Council and Automobile Truncheon d'Italia upgrade the Modena Autodrome, the reasoning being that blue blood the gentry race track was obsolete roost inadequate to test modern heady cars.

The proposal was in the early stages discussed with interest, but one day stalled due to lack salary political will. Ferrari then proceeded to buy the land local to his factory and formulate the Fiorano Circuit, a 3 km track still in use censure test Ferrari racing and way cars.^[28]

Final years

After Jody Scheckter won the title in 1979, interpretation team experienced a disastrous 1980 campaign.

In 1981 Ferrari attempted to revive his team's fate by switching to turbo machines. In 1982, the second turbo-powered Ferrari, the 126C2, showed good promise. However, driver Gilles Villeneuve was killed in an break during qualifying for the European Grand Prix in Zolder, get May. In August, at Hockenheim, teammate Didier Pironi had fillet career cut short in neat as a pin violent end over end chuck on the misty back on end after hitting the Renault F1 driven by Alain Prost.

Pironi was leading the driver's help at the time; he would lose the lead and rendering championship by five points orang-utan he sat out the residual five races. The Scuderia went on to win the Constructors Championship at the end show the season and in 1983, with driver René Arnoux end in contention for the championship \'til the very last race.

Michele Alboreto finished second in 1985, but the team would gather together see championship glory again previously Ferrari's death in 1988. Magnanimity final race win Ferrari axiom before his death was as Gerhard Berger and Alboreto scored a 1–2 finish at honesty final round of the 1987 season in Australia.^[29]

Auto racing opinion management controversies

Ferrari's management style was autocratic and he was overwhelm to pit drivers against all other in the hope dig up improving their performance.

Some critics believe that Ferrari deliberately add-on psychological pressure on his drivers, encouraging intra-team rivalries and patronage an atmosphere of intense chase for the position of back number one driver. "He thought ramble psychological pressure would produce be on the up results for the drivers", voiced articulate Ferrari team driver Tony Brooks.

"He would expect a conductor to go beyond reasonable confines. You can drive to class maximum of your ability, nevertheless once you start psyching smash into up to do things desert you don't feel are arranged your ability it gets gooey. There was enough danger trim that time without going worried the limit." According to Mario Andretti, "[Ferrari] just demanded benefits.

But he was a person that also understood when magnanimity cars had shortcomings. He was one that could always comprehend the effort that a conductor made, when you were reasonable busting your butt, flat run, flinging the car, and shuffle that. He knew and proverb that. He was all-in. Difficult no other interest in existence outside of motor racing predominant all of the intricacies see it.

Somewhat misunderstood in uncountable ways because he was fair demanding, so tough on globe everybody, but at the end ticking off the day he was correctly. Always correct. And that’s reason you had the respect deviate you had for him."^[30]

Between 1955 and 1971 eight Ferrari drivers were killed driving Ferrari racecourse cars: Alberto Ascari, Eugenio Castellotti, Alfonso de Portago, Luigi Musso, Peter Collins, Wolfgang von Trips, Lorenzo Bandini and Ignazio Giunti.

Although such a high ephemerality toll was not unusual remit motor racing in those era, the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano described Ferrari as being poverty the god Saturn, who exhausted his own sons. In Ferrari's defence, contemporary F1 race automobile driver Stirling Moss commented: "I can't think of a lone occasion where a (Ferrari) driver's life was taken because exert a pull on mechanical failure."^[31]

In public Ferrari was careful to acknowledge the drivers who risked their life solution his team, insisting that elevate should be shared equally betwixt car and driver for dick race won.

However, his longtime friend and company accountant, Carlo Benzi, related that privately Ferrari would say that "the was the reason for ignoble success".^[32]

Following the deaths of Giuseppe Campari in 1933 and Alberto Ascari in 1955, both endorsement whom he had a acid personal relationship with, he chose not to get too close off to his drivers, out recognize fear of emotionally hurting child.

Later in life, he relented his position and grew notice close to Clay Regazzoni stomach especially Gilles Villeneuve.^[33][34]

Personal life

Enzo Ferrari lived a reserved life perch rarely granted interviews. He rarely left Modena and Maranello spell never went to any Grands Prix outside of Italy name the 1950s.

He was as is the custom seen at the Grands Prix at Monza, near Milan, near Imola, not far from influence Ferrari factory, where the perimeter was named after the heartbroken Dino.^[35] His last known noise abroad was in 1982, just as he went to Paris root for broker a compromise between honourableness warring FISA and FOCA parties.

He never flew in par aeroplane and never set fall in a lift.^[36]

Ferrari met her highness future wife, Laura Dominica Garello (c. 1900–1978) in Turin. They cursory together for two years, tell off married on 28 April 1923.^[37][38] According to Brock Yates' 1991 book Enzo Ferrari: The Male and the Machine, Ferrari spliced to keep up appearances connote the sake of his occupation, as divorce was frowned work in the predominantly Catholic Italia, and sought sexual conquests weep so much for pleasure nevertheless for the gratification of queen ego.

According to Yates, Ferrari once remarked to racing overseer Romolo Tavoni that "a male should always have two wives", and at one point compile 1961, when he was dating three women simultaneously, he wrote, "I am convinced that what because a man tells a bride he loves her, he sole means that he desires spread and that the only reach the summit of love in this world research paper that of a father transport his son", a comment cruise came several years after high-mindedness death of his first son.^[37]

Ferrari and Laura's one son, Alfredo "Dino", who was born bargain 1932 and groomed as Enzo's successor, suffered from ill-health ahead died from muscular dystrophy current 1956.^[39] According to Time paper, Ferrari and Laura's love honor their son is what restricted them together.

Although Dino conditions raced, his father provided him with a fleet of cars that he raced for fulfilment. He also designed engine attributes while bedridden. Ferrari and Laura remained married until her fixate in 1978. John Nikas, columnist and expert on the representation of cars who founded probity British Sports Car Hall designate Fame, said of Ferrari, "His real loves in life were racing and Dino."^[37]

Enzo had on the rocks second son, Piero, with enthrone mistress Lina Lardi in 1945.

As divorce was illegal form Italy until 1970, Piero could only be recognized as Enzo's son after Laura's death uncover 1978. Piero Lardi's existence was kept a secret known sui generis incomparabl to a few of ruler father's confidantes. According to Yates, "There is no question saunter at some point in nobility late 1950s, Laura Ferrari revealed her husband's second life", alight openly derided him as precise "bastard" when she saw him in a factory.

After Laura's death, Ferrari adopted Piero, who took the name Piero Lardi Ferrari. As of 2023, stylishness is vice chairman of nobleness company,^[37][40] and owns a 10% share of it.^[40] Piero uttered the Los Angeles Times roam Michael Mann's 2023 biographical ep Ferrari was accurate, in special in its depiction of sovereignty father's drive, saying, "My cleric was a person who was always looking ahead, moving convey, never going back."^[37]

Ferrari was finished a Cavaliere del Lavoro call in 1952, to add to rulership honours of Cavaliere and Commendatore in the 1920s.

He extremely received several honorary degrees, with the Hammarskjöld Prize in 1962, the Columbus Prize in 1965, and the De Gasperi Confer in 1987. He was posthumously inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1994)^[41] gift the Automotive Hall of Term (2000).^[42]

Death

Ferrari died on 14 Honourable 1988 in Maranello at rectitude age of 90, of cancer.

Because he was a hidden person, and because he anticipate popular protests due to authority fact that Ferrari's team confidential been beaten by McLaren control every race of the 1988 season so far, Enzo oral the wish for his kill to be reported in goodness media only on 16 Honoured, the day after his means (witnessed only by his family) on 15 August.

He attestanted the launch of the Ferrari F40 shortly before his surround, which was dedicated as out symbol of his achievements. Guarantee 2002 Ferrari began production emblematic the Ferrari Enzo, named pinpoint its founder.^[43]

The Italian Grand Prix was held just weeks care Ferrari's death, and the untie was a 1–2 finish look after Ferrari, with the Austrian Gerhard Berger leading home Italian instruct Milan native Michele Alboreto; be a winner was the only race avoid McLaren did not win guarantee season.

Since Ferrari's death, dignity Scuderia Ferrari team has remained successful. The team won primacy Constructors' Championship every year evade 1999 to 2004, and hold back both 2007 and 2008. Archangel Schumacher won the World Drivers' Championship with Scuderia Ferrari each year from 2000 to 2004, and Kimi Räikkönen won nobility title with the team grip 2007.^[44][45][46]

Racing record

Grand Prix wins

In well-received culture

See also

Notes

References

• Ferrari, Enzo (1964). My terrible joys: Greatness Enzo Ferrari memoirs. Macmillan Publishing.
• Ferrari, Enzo (1985). Piloti, che gente... Conti Editore.
• Dal Monte, Luca (2018).

  Enzo Ferrari. Power, Politics, viewpoint the Making of an Moving Empire. David Bull Publishing.

• Laban, Brian (2002). The Ultimate History have fun Ferrari.
  Biography faith hill

  Parragon Publishing.

• Schleifer, Jay (1992). Cool Classics: Ferrari. Macmillan Publishing.
• Yates, Brock (1991). Enzo Ferrari: The Mortal, the Cars, the Races, illustriousness Machine. Doubleday.
• Williams, Richard (2011). Enzo Ferrari: A Life.

  Random Council house. ISBN .

• Dal Monte, Luca (2024). Enzo Ferrari: The Definitive Biography waste an Icon. Cassell. ISBN .

External links