Buon Compleanno! [Happy Birthday Ferrari]

The real Italian stallion turns 60 and becomes a senior citizen, and shares it with the world

by Marty Bernstein

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Ferrari. Just say the word softly... rolling and lengthening the R's like an Italian does... Ferrrrrari!

Instantly the mind conjures images and dreams of a marvelous red machine roaring down the Auto Strade in the Tuscan hills between Florence and Pisa, a lovely lady, signora bella in Italian, beside you. Or you're in an F1 getting the checkered flag just like Michael Schumacher has done. More than likely, though, you and I are staring at one parked on the street, as it passes you on an expressway, or gleaming on display at an auto show.

No matter where, when or how this is the ultimate in auto envy. Ferrari is the quintessential "that's the car I'd buy when I win the lottery." Aspirational—you bet! Affordable—maybe if you are a hedge funds manager or rock star. Audible—it's the auto sound recognized throughout the world. Addictive—yes, but in a good sense.

To celebrate this memorable occasion in a way only the Italian's would, can and do, Ferrari embarked on a year long, worldwide celebration of its 60th birthday just a few months ago. To learn more about the famous company I began a research quest gleaning information from many sources on the web—did you know the word "Ferrari" generates 105 million Google hits?

Additionally, while attending the recently concluded New York International Auto Show, I had the opportunity of interviewing Maurizio Parlato, president of Ferrari of America. Parlato has been with Ferrari in a variety of managerial positions throughout the world, including China and five years ago he was named president over U.S. operations.

Enzo & The Early Years

The success of Ferrari can be directly attributed to one man, Enzo Ferrari, the founder and visionary who almost single-handedly created what is now Ferrari from the ashes and rubble in Maranello, Italy after WWII.

An auto racer by vocation and desire, Ferrari joined Alfa Romeo first as a test and race driver and was later promoted to head their racing operations and a small factory in the 1930s. It was during this first time that the famous Prancing Horse Scuderia Ferrari logo appeared. The war intervened; however, and auto racing was cancelled and the factory became a victim of circumstances producing machine tools and airplane parts until it was bombed in 1944.

After the war in 1946, the factory was rebuilt into a facility capable of building road cars. In 1947, 60 years ago, the first Ferrari road car was built—the 125 S powered by a V12 engine. In 1948, the first Ferrari racecar—the 125 F1—was built. It finished 3rd in the Italian Grand Prix and two years later in 1950, when Formula 1 World Championships began, Ferrari began its formal racing competition.

Racing—Building the Ferrari Reputation Quickly

Ferrari and racing are more than a phrase: together the pair is an automotive racing aristocracy with unrivaled heritage; their legacy, packed with accomplishments and traditions, remains unrivaled in F1 racing today.

The list of the red car's racing success is lengthy. The ‘50s included 4 wins in F1 and sports car racing. Even with tough racing competition in the ‘60s and the decades that followed, even when wins were seldom, Ferrari was acknowledged as the competition to beat.

Until his death in 1988, Enzo Ferrari, Il, or "Commendatore" as he was known, continued to build road cars in order to provide the capital for auto racing his amore allineare, or true love. An apocryphal rumor exists that Enzo was disdainful of those who bought his car for prestige, rather than performance. No matter what drove consumers to buy Ferrari cars, the company has built one helluva (no Italian translation) auto business on many levels internationally.

The Business of Ferrari

Long before leveraged buyouts, mergers and acquisitions became the currency of international business growth Fiat became a shareholder and technical partner with Ferrari in 1969.

The investments, made possible by the new partner, fueled the expansion of facilities in Maranello with test tracks, engineering facilities, wind tunnels and other improvements.