Ferrari facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
Ferrari S.p.A.

Headquarters in Maranello, Italy
Type	Public (S.p.A.)
Traded as	BIT: RACE NYSE: RACE FTSE MIB component Euro Stoxx 50 component
Industry	Automotive
Founded	13 September 1939; 85 years ago (1939-09-13) in Modena, Italy (as Auto Avio Costruzioni)
Founder	Enzo Ferrari
Headquarters	Maranello, Emilia-Romagna, Italy Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy (seat) 44°31′57″N 10°51′51″E / 44.532447°N 10.864137°E / 44.532447; 10.864137
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	John Elkann (Executive Chairman) Piero Ferrari (Vice Chairman) Benedetto Vigna (CEO)
Products	Sports cars, luxury cars
Production output	13,663 units shipped (2023)
Revenue	€5.970 billion (2023)
Operating income	€1.617 billion (2023)
Net income	€ 1.257 billion (2023)
Total assets	€ 8.05 billion (2023)
Total equity	€ 3.07 billion (2023)
Owners	Exor N.V. (24.65%) Piero Ferrari (10.48%) Public (64.87%)
Number of employees	4,988 (2023)
Divisions	Scuderia Ferrari

Ferrari S.p.A. is a famous Italian company that makes amazing luxury sports cars. It's based in Maranello, Italy. A man named Enzo Ferrari started the company in 1939. They built their first car in 1940 and started making road cars in 1947. For a long time, Ferrari was part of Fiat, another big car company. People often think of Ferrari as making super fancy, carefully built, and incredibly fast cars.

Today, Ferrari makes many different types of cars, including supercars, grand tourers, and even an SUV. Some old Ferraris from the 1950s and 1960s have sold for huge amounts of money at auctions, making them some of the most expensive cars ever! Ferrari is also known as one of the strongest brands in the world. This is because of its amazing cars, loyal fans, and successful deals.

Ferrari is also very famous for its long history in racing, especially in Formula One. Their racing team, Scuderia Ferrari, is the oldest and most successful team in Formula One. They have been racing since 1929. In Formula One, they have won many championships and races. Ferrari also used to be very active in sports car racing, winning famous races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Fans of Scuderia Ferrari are called tifosi and are known for their passion.

Ferrari's Story

How Ferrari Started

Three Scuderia Ferrari cars in 1934, all Alfa Romeo P3s. These were racing cars used by Enzo Ferrari's team.

Enzo Ferrari used to be a salesman and a racing driver for another car company called Alfa Romeo. In 1929, he started his own racing team called Scuderia Ferrari. At first, it was for amateur racers. But when Alfa Romeo stopped racing in 1933, Enzo's team became their unofficial racing partner. Alfa Romeo gave racing cars to Ferrari, and Enzo's team became very successful. They won many races in the 1930s.

In 1937, Scuderia Ferrari became part of Alfa Romeo. But Enzo didn't agree with the company's leaders, so he left in 1939. He then started his own company to build his own cars. He called it "Auto Avio Costruzioni." Because of an agreement with Alfa Romeo, he couldn't use the "Ferrari" name for four years. His company built only one car, the Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, before World War II started. During the war, Enzo's company made airplane engines and tools for the Italian army. This helped the new company earn a lot of money. In 1943, the factory moved to Maranello to avoid bombings. Even though the new factory was bombed twice, Ferrari is still in Maranello today.

The Enzo Ferrari Era

Ferrari's factory in the early 1960s. Back then, most of the cars were handmade with great care.

In 1945, the company finally changed its name to Ferrari. They quickly started working on a new V12 engine. This engine would power the Ferrari 125 S, which was the first car made with the Ferrari name. Many Ferraris after that also used this engine. The company found success in racing almost right away. The 125 S won many races in 1947. Early wins, like the 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans, helped Ferrari become known for making high-quality cars. By the early 1950s, Ferrari road cars were already very popular with rich and famous people around the world.

In 1960, Ferrari became a public company. This meant people could buy shares in the company. Ferrari then looked for a partner to help with making cars. They talked to Ford in 1963, but that deal didn't work out. Later, they talked to Fiat, which bought 50% of Ferrari's shares in 1969. This deal was successful. In the late 1960s, Ferrari also made two new types of cars. The 1967 Dino 206 GT was their first car with the engine in the middle, and the 1968 365 GTB/4 had a new, modern design. The Dino was a big change because it showed Ferrari was ready to try new things, like different engine types (V6 and V8) and placing the engine in the middle of the car.

Ferrari Today

Enzo Ferrari passed away in 1988. After his death, Fiat bought more shares, owning 90% of Ferrari. The last car Enzo personally approved was the Ferrari F40. In 1991, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo became the new chairman. Under his leadership for 23 years, Ferrari grew a lot. He made Ferrari's road cars much more profitable by offering more models and carefully limiting how many were made. During this time, Ferrari also improved its Formula One team a lot, partly by hiring famous people like Michael Schumacher. They also made three more amazing flagship cars: the F50, the Enzo, and the LaFerrari.

After Montezemolo left, other leaders took over. Benedetto Vigna became the CEO in 2021. He has plans to develop Ferrari's first fully electric car. Ferrari has been making more cars recently because more people around the world can afford them.

Ferrari in Racing

Since the very beginning, Ferrari has been deeply involved in motorsport. Their main racing team is called Scuderia Ferrari. They have competed in many different types of races, including Formula One and sports car racing.

Formula One Racing

A Ferrari F2004 Formula One car, driven by Michael Schumacher. He is one of the best F1 drivers ever.

The first Ferrari racing team, Scuderia Ferrari, was started in 1929. This was ten years before the car company itself began. It was a Grand Prix racing team linked with Alfa Romeo. Alfa Romeo gave racing cars to Ferrari, and the team would make them even better. Scuderia Ferrari was very successful in the 1930s. They won 144 out of 225 races!

Ferrari returned to Grand Prix racing in 1947. This was when Grand Prix racing was changing into what we now call Formula One. Ferrari's first Grand Prix car that they built themselves was the Ferrari 125 F1. It raced in 1948, and its good performance convinced Enzo to keep racing. Ferrari's first win in an F1 race was in 1951. They had a very strong period in the 1950s and early 1960s. During this time, they won many World Drivers' Championships and Constructors' Championships. Famous Ferrari drivers from this time include Juan Manuel Fangio.

After 1964, Ferrari's luck in F1 changed for a while. Other teams started using a new, cheaper engine that was very good. But in the mid-1970s, Ferrari got much better thanks to Niki Lauda. He won drivers' titles for Ferrari in 1975 and 1977. The team also won the Constructors' Championship in 1982 and 1983.

After another tough period in the 1980s and 1990s, Ferrari had a huge winning streak in the 2000s. This was mostly thanks to Michael Schumacher. He joined the team in 1996 and won five drivers' titles in a row from 2000 to 2004. Ferrari also won six constructors' titles in a row, starting in 1999. They were especially strong in 2004, losing only three races that year. After Schumacher left, Ferrari won one more drivers' title with Kimi Räikkönen in 2007. They also won two more constructors' titles in 2007 and 2008. These are their most recent titles. Lately, Ferrari has been trying to catch up to newer strong teams like Red Bull and Mercedes-Benz.

Ferrari Driver Academy

Ferrari has a special program for young drivers called the Ferrari Driver Academy. It started in 2009. This program helps talented young drivers learn about formula racing. Ferrari supports them as they compete in smaller racing series like Formula Three and Formula 4. As of 2019, 5 out of 18 drivers in the program had become F1 drivers. One of them, Charles Leclerc, even races for Scuderia Ferrari!

Sports Car Racing

A 312 P sports car, driven by Jacky Ickx. This was during Ferrari's last year in the World Sportscar Championship before their recent return.

Ferrari started racing sports cars in 1947. Their 125 S won six out of ten races it entered that year. Ferrari continued to have great success in sports car racing. By 1957, just ten years later, they had won three World Sportscar Championships. They also won seven victories in the Mille Miglia and two victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. These races were perfect for developing and showing off Ferrari's early road cars, which were very similar to their racing cars.

Their winning streak continued into the early 1960s. Ferrari won at Le Mans for six years in a row! This streak was broken by Ford in 1966. Ferrari won two more World Sportscar Championship titles, but then they stopped competing in sports car events in 1973. After that, Ferrari helped prepare racing cars for other private teams, but they didn't race them themselves.

In 2023, Ferrari returned to sports car racing! For the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship, Ferrari teamed up with AF Corse. They entered two 499P sports cars. One of the cars was numbered "50" to celebrate 50 years since a factory Ferrari last raced in an endurance race. The 499P won the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. This ended Toyota's winning streak and was Ferrari's first win at Le Mans in 58 years!

Other Types of Racing

From 1932 to 1935, Scuderia Ferrari also had a motorcycle racing team. They used British motorcycles to find and train future Grand Prix drivers. Ferrari was successful in motorcycle racing, winning three national titles.

Ferrari also raced in other types of open-wheel races besides F1. They developed cars for Formula Two and Formula Libre events as early as 1948. The Dino engine, which powered many Ferrari racing and road cars, came from their F2 program.

Even some water speed record boats have used Ferrari engines! These were powerful boats from the early 1950s. One of them, called Arno XI, still holds the top speed record for its type of boat.

Race Cars for Other Teams

Ferrari has also provided racing cars to other teams, not just their own Scuderia Ferrari. In the 1950s and 1960s, they supplied Formula One cars to private teams. The North American Racing Team was the last team other than Scuderia Ferrari to race a Ferrari car in a World Championship Grand Prix in 1969.

Ferrari also supplied V8 engines for the A1 Grand Prix series starting in 2008. The cars for this series were designed to look like the 2004 Ferrari Formula One car. Today, Ferrari runs a program for customers who want to race their GT cars. Teams like Risi Competizione and AF Corse have been very successful with Ferrari GT racers. The Ferrari Challenge is a special racing series where everyone races the same type of Ferrari car.

Ferrari Road Cars

For a complete list, including future and concept car models, see List of Ferrari road cars.

The Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Berlinetta. This car helped Ferrari become known for its road cars.

The first car made with the Ferrari name was the Ferrari 125 S. Only two of these small, two-seat sports cars were ever made. In 1949, the 166 Inter was introduced. This car showed that Ferrari was serious about making grand touring road cars for people to buy. The first 166 Inter was a four-seat coupe. Road cars quickly became the main part of Ferrari's sales. In the early days, independent companies called coachbuilders often designed and customized the bodies of Ferrari road cars.

The first Ferrari road cars usually had two seats, a V12 engine, and the engine was in the front. This design worked well for Ferrari throughout the 1950s and 1960s. In 1967, the Dino 206 GT was introduced. It had a V6 engine and was the first Ferrari production car with the engine in the middle. The Dino 206 GT was sold under the "Dino" brand, named after Enzo Ferrari's son. It sold more cars than any previous Ferrari model. The first mid-engine car sold under the Ferrari name was the Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer in 1973. This mid-engine design is still used in many Ferraris today. Current Ferrari road cars usually have V8 or V12 engines. V8 models make up more than half of all Ferraris produced.

Ferrari also made some 2+2 versions of its mid-engine V8 cars. These cars had two small extra seats in the back. The Lusso and Roma are examples of modern front-engined 2+2 grand touring sports cars.

Starting in the early 2010s, with the LaFerrari, Ferrari began designing all its road cars in-house at its Centro Stile Ferrari. Before this, they often worked with independent design companies like Pininfarina.

The Ferrari SF90 Stradale is the first Ferrari to be a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle). This means it has a regular engine combined with three electric motors.

Current Models

	Calendar year introduced	Vehicle description
812 Superfast	2017	A grand touring car with a V12 engine in the front-middle.
SF90 Stradale	2019	A sports car with a V8 engine in the middle. It's also a plug-in hybrid.
Roma	2020	A grand touring car with a V8 engine in the front-middle.
296 GTB	2022	A sports car with a V6 engine in the middle. It's also a plug-in hybrid.
Daytona SP3	2022	A special, limited-production sports car with a mid-engine. It's part of the new Icona range.
Purosangue	2022	Ferrari's first ever SUV! It uses the same base as the Roma.

Customizing Your Ferrari

In the past, in the 1950s and 1960s, customers often made their Ferraris unique right from the factory. This idea made the brand even more special. Every Ferrari could be built exactly how a customer wanted it.

Today, Ferrari has a special program called "Tailor Made." This program lets customers work with designers in Maranello to choose almost any color, material, or special feature for their car. This keeps the tradition alive of making each Ferrari unique.

The "Big 5" Supercars

The Enzo Ferrari supercar.

Some people consider the 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO to be the first of Ferrari's famous "supercars." This special group of cars is sometimes called the "Big 5." It includes the F40, F50, Enzo Ferrari, and the LaFerrari.

Concept Cars and Special Models

The Ferrari Pinin concept car.

Ferrari has also made a few concept cars, like the Modulo and Pinin. Some of these were very wild and never meant to be sold. Others showed design ideas that later appeared in cars that were sold to the public. Most of Ferrari's concept cars were made with a design studio called Pininfarina.

Ferrari also makes special, one-of-a-kind versions of its road cars for very wealthy customers. These are called "one-off" cars. Examples include the P4/5.

Ferrari Special Projects

The Special Projects program started in 2008. It's a way to bring back the tradition of building unique, custom-bodied Ferrari models. Customers can work with Ferrari designers to create a car that is truly one-of-a-kind, based on a modern Ferrari road car. These cars are fully approved to be driven on the road.

The first car made under this program was the 2008 SP1. Here are some other Special Projects cars that have been shown to the public:

Name	Year	Based on	Commissioned by	Notes
SP1	2008	F430	Junichiro Hiramatsu	Designed by Leonardo Fioravanti.
P540 Superfast Aperta	2009	599 GTB	Edward Walson	Designed by Pininfarina.
Superamerica 45	2011	599 GTB	Peter Kalikow	Has a special rotating roof; designed by Ferrari.
SP12 EC	2012	458 Italia	Eric Clapton	Designed by Ferrari and Pininfarina, as a tribute to the 512 BB.
SP30	2013	599 GTO	Cheerag Arya	Designed by Ferrari.
SP FFX	2014	FF	Shin Okamoto	Designed by Pininfarina.
F12 TRS	2014	F12berlinetta	—	Inspired by the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa. Designed by Ferrari.
SP America	2014	F12berlinetta	Danny Wegman	Designed by Pininfarina.
458 MM Speciale	2016	458 Speciale	—	Designed by Ferrari.
SP275 RW Competizione	2016	F12tdf	Rick Workman	Inspired by the 1964 275 GTB/C Speciale. Designed by Pininfarina and Ferrari.
J50	2017	488 Spider	N/A	Designed by Ferrari.
SP38	2018	488 GTB	—	Inspired by the F40 and 308.
SP3JC	2018	F12tdf	John Collins	Designed by Ferrari. Two matching cars were ordered.
P80/C	2019	488 GT3	TK Mak	A track-only car inspired by older Ferrari racing cars.
Omologata	2020	812 Superfast	—	Designed by Ferrari.
BR20	2021	GTC4Lusso	—	A fastback coupe version. Inspired by older Ferrari models.
SP48 Unica	2022	F8 Tributo	—
SP51	2022	812 GTS	—
KC23	2023	488 GT3 Evo	—
SP-8	2023	F8	—

Hybrid and Electric Cars

At a car show in 2008, Ferrari showed an F430 Spider that could run on ethanol (a type of fuel). In 2010, they showed a hybrid version of their 599 car. This "HY-KERS Concept" added more than 100 horsepower to the car. In 2014, the famous LaFerrari supercar also used a hybrid system. Ferrari introduced its first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) car, the SF90 Stradale, in 2019. This was followed by the 296 in 2021.

How Ferraris Get Their Names

In the beginning, Ferrari cars were named using a three-digit number. This number was based on the size of one engine cylinder. Then, a letter was added to show what the car was for. For example, the Ferrari 125 S had an engine where each cylinder was about 125 cubic centimeters. The "S" meant "Sport." Other race cars got names from famous races, like the Ferrari 166 MM for the Mille Miglia race.

Until the early 1990s, Ferrari often used a three-number naming system based on the engine size and number of cylinders:

For V6 and V8 models, the first two numbers showed the total engine size (in deciliters), and the third number was the number of cylinders. So, a 206 was a 2.0-liter V6.
For V12 models, the numbers showed the size (in cubic centimeters) of just one cylinder. For example, the 365 Daytona had a V12 engine where each cylinder was 365 cubic centimeters.
For flat 12 models, the first number was the engine size in liters, and the next two numbers were the number of cylinders. So, the 512 BB was a 5-liter flat 12.
Special "flagship" models, also called "halo cars," often used the letter "F" followed by the anniversary year. Examples are the F40 and F50. The Enzo car was named after the founder.

Many Ferraris also had letters added to their names to describe their body style:

GTB means "Gran Turismo Berlinetta," which is a closed Berlinetta (a type of coupé).
GTS means "Gran Turismo Scoperta." This used to be for older convertibles. Now, convertible models use the word "Spider." For newer models, GTS is used for targa top cars, which have a removable roof section.
GTO means "Gran Turismo Omologata." This means the car was designed and improved for racing but is still allowed on the street. Only three models have these letters: the 250 GTO (1962), the 288 GTO (1984), and the 599 GTO (2010).

This naming system can be a bit confusing because some very different cars might have similar names. Also, many Ferraris have unofficial names, like "Daytona," which came from a famous race.

What Makes Ferrari Special

The "Prancing Horse" Symbol

Tifosi (Ferrari fans) waving Prancing Horse flags at a race.

Ferrari's famous symbol is the "Prancing Horse" (called Cavallino Rampante in Italian). It's a black horse standing on its hind legs, usually on a yellow background. The symbol can be a shield with the Italian flag colors above the horse and "SF" (for Scuderia Ferrari) below it. Or it can be a rectangle with the word "Ferrari" instead of "SF."

Enzo Ferrari explained where the horse came from. After he won a race in 1923, the family of Francesco Baracca visited him. Baracca was a brave pilot who had painted the horse on his airplane. His mother suggested that Enzo use the horse as a good luck charm. Enzo agreed, and his racing team first used the Prancing Horse in 1932. He added a bright yellow background, which is the color of Modena, Enzo's hometown. The rectangular Prancing Horse has been used since 1947, on the first Ferrari-branded sports car, the Ferrari 125 S.

The Color Red

A Ferrari 550 in rosso corsa (racing red). You can see both the shield and rectangle Ferrari logos on the car.

For many years, rosso corsa (which means "racing red" in Italian) was the required color for all Italian racing cars. This color is very strongly linked with Ferrari. Even when rules changed and racing teams could use other colors, Scuderia Ferrari kept painting its cars bright red, and they still do today. For Ferrari's road cars, red has always been one of the most popular choices. In 2012, 40% of Ferraris leaving the factory were red. In the early 1990s, it was even higher, at 85%. Some Ferrari cars, like the Ferrari 288 GTO, were only ever made in red.

Even though red is Ferrari's most famous color, not all Ferraris have been red. Some Ferraris raced by private teams have been in many different colors. In 1964, Ferrari even raced in blue with a white stripe to protest some racing rules. By the early 2010s, red became less common on Ferrari's road cars, with colors like yellow, silver, and white becoming more popular.

Enzo Ferrari once famously said, "Ask a child to draw a car, and he will certainly paint it red." This shows how popular rosso corsa is and how strong the Ferrari brand is.

Brand Image

Ferrari works very hard to control how its brand is seen by the public. They protect their trademarks carefully, and customers are expected to follow certain rules when taking care of their cars. Ferrari is known for taking legal action to protect its brand. They have sued over things like the shape of the Ferrari 250 GTO's body, the right to use certain model names, fake cars, and even some changes owners made to their cars. They even offer rewards to people who report fake Ferrari products.

A pink Ferrari 360. Ferrari does not offer pink paint from the factory and discourages such customizations.

Ferrari wants to be seen as exclusive and luxurious. To do this, they intentionally make fewer cars than people want to buy. This makes their cars even more special. Some cars can only be bought by customers who have already owned many Ferraris. For their most exclusive supercars, like the LaFerrari, there are many more people who want to buy them than cars available. Only the most loyal customers are chosen to buy one. In 2015, Ferrari's head of sales said this strategy helps keep the brand's value high and "keep alive this dream that is called Ferrari."

Sometimes, Ferrari's desire to protect its brand image goes against what its customers want. For example, Ferrari sued a fashion designer because he posted "distasteful" photos of his personal Ferrari 812 Superfast on Instagram. Ferrari felt that the photos, which showed models on top of the car, were using the Ferrari brand in a way that didn't fit its image. Also, Ferrari has rules about what owners can do with their cars. They are not allowed to make certain changes. If a customer breaks these rules, they might be put on a "blacklist" and not allowed to buy a new Ferrari through official channels.

Ferrari does encourage buyers to personalize their cars, but only through official programs like "Tailor Made." These programs offer many customization options, but they always match Ferrari's desired brand image. For example, Ferrari does not offer pink paint for its cars. In 2017, the CEO of Ferrari's Australia branch said that "No pink. No Pokémon Ferraris!" is a company rule because it goes against their brand's values.

Company Business

In 1963, Ford Motor Company wanted to buy Ferrari. Ford looked at Ferrari's business, but Enzo Ferrari stopped the talks. He realized that the deal would not let him stay in charge of Ferrari's racing program. Because of this, Henry Ford II decided to build a car that could beat Ferrari in endurance races, which led to the creation of the Ford GT40 in 1964.

Since the Ford deal didn't happen, FIAT approached Ferrari with a better offer. FIAT bought most of the company in 1969. Enzo Ferrari kept a 10% share, which is now owned by his son, Piero Lardi Ferrari.

Ferrari also has its own line of products that use the Ferrari brand. These include things like glasses, pens, perfume, clothes, watches, and even cell phones.

Ferrari also has a museum, the Museo Ferrari in Maranello. It shows off road cars, race cars, and other items from the company's history.

Technical Partnerships

Ferrari has a long-standing relationship with the oil company Shell Oil. Shell develops and supplies fuel and oils for Scuderia Ferrari's Formula One team. The Shell V-Power gasoline is even said to have been developed using the knowledge gained from this partnership.

Ferrari has also supplied Formula One engines to other teams over the years. Currently, they supply engines to the Sauber and Haas F1 F1 teams.

Stores and Attractions

There are about thirty Ferrari stores around the world. These stores sell Ferrari-branded clothes, accessories, and racing souvenirs. Some stores even have racing simulators where visitors can "drive" virtual Ferrari cars.

There are also two Ferrari-themed amusement parks!

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi opened in 2010. It's the first Ferrari theme park in the world and has 37 rides. It's home to the world's fastest roller coaster, Formula Rossa.
Ferrari Land opened in 2017 in Spain. It's the second Ferrari theme park and has 16 rides. It has Europe's fastest and highest vertical roller coaster, Red Force.

Images for kids

1963 Ferrari 250 GTO