1-WORLD WAR II DELAYED THE LAUNCH OF THE FIRST FERRARI.
Ferrari began his racing career as a driver for C.M.N (Costruzioni Meccaniche Nazionali) in 1919 and quickly jumped over to Alfa Romeo, where he would be appointed head of the Alfa Corse racing division. In 1939 he struck out on his own and began building race cars after agreeing to not use the name “Ferrari” for four years. In 1940, Enzo Ferrari produced two 815 Auto Avio Costruzioni cars—but these weren’t official Ferraris yet. Then World War II intervened, and Ferrari’s factory in Maranello was bombed by Allied forces in 1944 and again in 1945. After these setbacks, the first official Ferrari, the V12 125 S, debuted in March 1947, two years after the war ended.
2-ONLY TWO OF THAT FIRST MODEL WERE EVER MADE.
Even after Ferrari finally got the ball rolling with that first official model, the 1,500-cubic-centimeter 12-cylinder 125 S, the company didn’t start mass-producing cars—only two were manufactured.
3-THE CLASSIC FERRARI RED COLOR WASN’T THE COMPANY’S CHOICE.
Today’s Ferraris come in colors ranging from bright yellow (Giallo Modena) to soft metallic grey (Grigio Alloy), but originally they were all red (Rosso Scuderia). That wasn’t Enzo Ferrari’s decision, however. Red was the color that the International Automobile Federation (FIA) assigned to all Italian Grand Prix racecars in the early years of auto racing. And most people still overwhelmingly choose red as the color for their Ferrari; the color represents 45 percent of Ferraris sold.
4-FIAT OWNS A BIG STAKE IN THE COMPANY.
In 1969, Enzo Ferrari sold 50 percent of his company to the Fiat Group, a deal that gave Ferrari S.p.A. a needed infusion of capital. Around the time of his death in 1988, Enzo Ferrari and his son Piero Ferrari sold even more of the company, retaining only 10 percent ownership.
5-YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE EVERY ELEMENT OF YOUR FERRARI.
Ferrari’s Tailor Made program allows buyers to personalize every component of their car. This bespoke experience happens at the Maranello factory, where buyers can choose everything from livery colors to interior trims, finishes, and accessories. Once a buyer makes these choices, they can expect it to take up to two years to receive their car.
6-FERRARI DRIVERS HAVE WON MORE THAN 5,000 SANCTIONED RACES.
Those first victories in 1947 were a pretty good sign of things to come. According to the company, Ferrari has taken home more than 5,000 trophies over the decades.
7-LICENSING AND MERCHANDISING IS BIG BUSINESS FOR FERRARI.
Ferrari design team works on more than just automobiles. At its 30 outposts around the world, Ferrari rings up approximately $1.5 billion in worldwide retail sales every year. The shops stock Ferrari-clothing, watches, sunglasses, shoes, mobile phone covers and of course, scale models of the cars. But be warned, prices are not cheap.
8-THERE’S A FERRARI THEME PARK IN ABU DHABI, COMPLETE WITH AN F1 ROLLERCOASTER.
Ferrari opened its first theme park, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, in 2010. Touted as the world’s largest indoor theme park, it boasts four “Thrill” rides, including the F1-inspired Formula Rossa rollercoaster—the fastest rollercoaster in the world at nearly 150 mph—as well as numerous other family attractions and rides just for kids. Licensed drivers over 21 can even sign up for the “Driving Experience,” a chance to drive the Ferrari California on the streets around Yas Island, where Ferrari World is located.
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