Few car brands have grown to achieve Ferrari’s iconic status—and this within just 73 years of existence. Enzo Ferrari, the famed founder of the brand, created a brand that everyone, both those who love racing and those who do not, along with those who own or do not own a Ferrari, can identify with. To many, the Ferrari is the quintessential status symbol.
In the company’s illustrious history, there have been many defining moments, some of which are well known and a few of which are not very widely known. Here are the top five fascinating facts about Ferrari:
Rosso Corsa was a happy accident
Ferrari’s iconic red is so deeply ingrained into the psyche of the company today, that there is even a name for it: Rosso Corsa. However, this was never the plan—neither Enzo Ferrari nor his associates had any particular reason to choose the color red. In fact, they didn’t choose it at all, and it was instead imposed by the International Automobile Federation, as the color assigned to all Italian Grand Prix teams at the time. Today, while Ferraris come in a variety of different colors, the Scuderia Ferrari (the racing team) is famous for maintaining the distinctive bold red color while a total of 40% of all Ferraris come in this color.
The interesting origin of the logo
Ferrari owes the origin of its prancing horse logo to a World War I pilot, named Francesco Baracca. Baracca was considered to be something of a hero and famously had the image of a prancing horse painted onto the side of his plane. After he was eventually killed in action, Enzo Ferrari met with Baracca’s parents who suggested that he use the prancing horse logo, with the promise that it would bring him good luck. At the time Enzo was still a driver for Alfa Romeo who allowed him to do so. Subsequently, the yellow shield was added as a tribute to Enzo’s own hometown of Modena, Italy.
Any element of a Ferrari can be customized
One of the reasons why Ferraris have proven to be a huge hit with people who buy them is the fact that you can customize pretty much every element and component from interior finishes to tire treads and colors. Beware though, a customized Ferrari may take up to two years to be delivered to its owner. If you live in California and are considering purchasing a Ferrari, check out a Ferrari dealer in South California.
You can never find one of Ferrari’s first models – the 125 S
Enzo Ferrari created his first model Ferrari in 1947, and given the rate at which antiques tend to appreciate, these would be worth astronomical amounts of money today. There’s just one problem, however, and this is the fact that only two units of the 125 S were ever produced, and these were eventually dismantled and used for Enzo’s next build. The 125 S remains a memorable part of Ferrari’s history, however, as it brought home the company’s first six wins.
Ferrari drivers have won more than 5,000 professional races
Apart from its wild success with streetcars, it must be pointed at that a big part of Ferrari’s success story is its incredible history of success on the race track, where it all began. Since its inception in 1947, Ferrari has raced to over 5,000 wins, which include pretty much every title out there. Everyone wants to ride a legendary car from Italy. If you are in Rome, be sure to take advantage of luxury cars rental Rome and enjoy your unforgettable weekend.
