The History of Ferrari: From Racing Team to Listed Supercar Maker

Ferrari at a glance

Enzo, Alfa Romeo and the Scuderia (1919–1939)

Enzo Ferrari decided to race at the age of ten and began his career as a racing driver in 1919. In the 1920s he worked for Alfa Romeo as a driver and in its Milan sales office. In 1929 he founded Scuderia Ferrari in Modena with a bank loan and backing from investors such as Pirelli. The team raced Alfa Romeo cars, starting with the 1930 Mille Miglia.

The prancing horse badge first appeared on the team's cars at the 1932 Spa 24 Hours. When the Italian state took control of Alfa Romeo, the company bought 80 % of the Scuderia in 1937 and absorbed it. Enzo left during a restructuring in 1939.

From the AAC 815 to the first Ferrari (1939–1947)

Barred for a time from using his own name on racing cars, Enzo founded Auto Avio Costruzioni on 13 September 1939. Its first car, the AAC 815 of 1940, was a small sports car built for the Mille Miglia. During the war the company made grinders for industry and moved from Modena to Maranello in 1943. Allied bombing hit the factory in November 1944 and February 1945.

In 1945 the business became Auto Costruzioni Ferrari. The 125 S, with a 1.5-litre V12, appeared in 1947 and won the Grand Prix of Rome that year, which is why the company counts 1947 as its founding date. In 1946 Enzo appointed Luigi Chinetti as importer for North America, a market that would soon take a large share of production.

Racing builds the road-car business (1947–1969)

Success came quickly. The 125 F1 made its Grand Prix debut at the 1948 Italian Grand Prix, and in 1949 the 166 MM barchetta won Le Mans, the Targa Florio and the Spa 24 Hours. The team won its first Formula One world championship in 1952. By 1957 the cars had collected three F1 titles, three World Sportscar titles, seven Mille Miglia wins and two Le Mans victories.

Road cars were at first rebodied racers sold to wealthy customers, among them the 166 Inter, the brand's first grand tourer of 1949. The partnership with coachbuilder Pinin Farina began in 1951. The 250 Europa of 1953 started a more standard range, and the 250 GT Coupé of 1958 became the first model built in series. Sports racers like the 250 Testa Rossa kept the name winning.

The 1960s brought both triumph and crisis. The firm became a public company (S.p.A.) in 1960, when about 40 % of its cars went to North America. The 156 F1 won both titles in 1961, but eight senior engineers left in the October walkout. In 1963 Ford offered to buy the company; the talks collapsed in May, and Ford began the GT40 programme in June. Its cars won Le Mans in 1966 and ended Maranello's run of six straight victories there. The story is told in Enzo Ferrari's fight with Henry Ford II. In 1967 the Dino 206 GT became the first mid-engined road car produced in numbers at Maranello, sold under the Dino name.

The Fiat years and the supercar flagships (1969–1990)

To secure its future, the company sold 50 % to Fiat in June 1969. Fiat's money expanded the Maranello plant, and Maranello took over production of the Dino engine for Fiat. The company left sports-car racing after 1973 to focus on Formula One. Niki Lauda won the drivers' title in 1975 and 1977, and Jody Scheckter in 1979.

On the road, the Berlinetta Boxer and the Dino 308 GT4 of 1973 were followed by the Testarossa in 1984. The 288 GTO was built as a Group B homologation car based on the 308. On 21 July 1987 the company presented the F40 for its 40th anniversary. It had 352 kW (478 PS), was the last car personally approved by Enzo, and about 1,311 were built. Enzo Ferrari died in 1988, and Fiat's stake rose to 90 %.

Montezemolo, Schumacher and independence (1991–2016)

Luca di Montezemolo became chairman in 1991 and led the company for 23 years. He restored the Formula One team, which won the drivers' title with Michael Schumacher every year from 2000 to 2004, and again in 2007 with Kimi Räikkönen. The road range grew, and limited "halo" cars arrived every decade.

The Ferrari Enzo (2002–2004) had a 485 kW (660 PS) V12. The factory offered 399 cars to selected customers and gave a 400th to the Vatican, which sold it for charity. Old reports also describe a parade at Silverstone on 15 September 2012, when 964 cars set a world record. The hybrid LaFerrari of 2013 combined a V12 and an electric motor for 708 kW, in a run of 499 cars. By our calculation it had about twice the power of the F40 from 26 years earlier.

In October 2014 Fiat Chrysler announced that it would spin off its sports-car maker. Under Sergio Marchionne, the company floated shares on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2015 and became fully independent of FCA in January 2016.

Hybrids, an SUV and the first electric Ferrari (2016–2026)

The listed company is controlled by Exor, the Agnelli family holding, and Piero Ferrari, Enzo's son. Benedetto Vigna became chief executive in 2021 and announced the first fully electric model. The range now includes mid-engined V8 and V6 hybrids, front-engined V12 grand tourers and, since 2022, the Purosangue, the first model with four doors. On 9 October 2025 the company presented the chassis and components of its Elettrica, its first battery car, at a Capital Markets Day.

Old reports noted that V8 models make up more than half of production, and the mid-engined V8 remains the core of the range. The company keeps output deliberately low to protect values: 13,752 cars in 2024, slightly more than the 13,663 of 2023. Brand Finance named it the world's strongest brand in 2019.

Landmark Ferrari models

Formula One, Le Mans and other racing records

Scuderia Ferrari is the only team that has raced in every Formula One world championship season since 1950. It has won 16 constructors' titles and 15 drivers' titles, from Alberto Ascari in 1952 to Räikkönen in 2007. In sports-car racing the marque won Le Mans nine times between 1949 and 1965, then returned with the 499P hybrid. The car won Le Mans in 2023 and 2024, and the team took the 2025 World Endurance Championship manufacturers' and drivers' titles. Since 1993 the company has also run the Ferrari Challenge one-make series for customers.

Ferrari compared with Lamborghini

The closest rival is Lamborghini, owned by the Volkswagen Group through Audi. Lamborghini delivered 10,747 cars in 2025, a figure close to Ferrari's volume. Maranello's edge is its racing history, its independence as a listed company and a wider range that includes front-engined grand tourers. You can set any two models side by side in the 1cars comparison tool, and the fastest of them are listed in the most powerful supercars guide.

Which Ferrari to choose

For most buyers who want a usable modern car, a mid-engined V8 such as the 488 or F8 Tributo is the best choice. It is quick, reliable when serviced and easy to sell on. Buyers who drive long distances should look at a front-engined grand tourer such as the Roma or the 812. Classic collectors usually start with a 308 or 328, while the F40, Enzo and LaFerrari are investment pieces. Always check the service history and the "Ferrari Classiche" certification on older cars.