From the first 125 S, to the launch of the 488 Spider this week, there has been no other automotive marque in history with the ability to turn heads and make hearts leap with desire in the way a Ferrari can.
Surprisingly, founder Enzo Ferrari did not initially intend his company to be a manufacturer of sports cars for road use. He only reluctantly built and sold his first cars to fund Scuderia Ferrari racing team as his passion was track performance. Yet Enzo was a man of vision, a mechanical virtuoso and perfectionist. When he decided to build his first road car back in 1947, he was determined that any car bearing his name would not only be a powerful sports car but also one of the most beautiful on the road.
Much has been said and written about the man himself; good, bad and ugly, yet there is no doubt that this fiery, stubborn and charismatic Italian was an automotive genius. Within a very short space of time, cars bearing the Ferrari marque became the cars of dreams for the aspirational masses and a prized possession of the few; redefining automotive desire around the world, while its competitors galloped to catch up.
Ferrari achieved this by pushing the boundaries of what was technically possible; such as delivering engines honed and perfected on the racing circuits of Europe. But it was never enough for Enzo to have the most powerful performance engines, what propelled the marque of the ‘Prancing Horse’ to legendary status was the way he coupled this with breath-taking styling. It is easy to see why cars like the 1951 Ferrari 212 Barchetta became the automotive supermodels of their day.
The 250 GTO took Ferrari to a new level of beauty and power. Created as a Grand Touring racing car, it has been honoured with the award for the “Best Sports Car of All Time” by the prestigious Sports Car International magazine. However, it made history for a second time in August 2014 by becoming the world’s most expensive car in history, selling at auction for $38,115,000.
In 1967 Ferrari broke the mould again with the Dino. Designed by Sergio Pininfarina and named in honour of Enzo Ferrari’s first son Dino who died in 1956, this was Ferrari’s first mid-engine road car. While the mid-engine configuration was common place on the race track, Enzo was worried that customers would not be able to handle such power, so demanded that it wear the Dino badge alone. The Dino became the car that proved to German and British rivals exactly who the grand master of motoring was. It became such an iconic emblem of automotive desire that even today young boys have heard its name mentioned and when they do, their eyes sparkle with wonder.
Arguably, the car which turned Ferrari into a super-brand was the Testarossa. Some credit this car as being the first true “poster car.” When compared to its rivals, the Testarossa’s Pininfarina design became the icon of the 1980s. Beloved by film stars and stockbrokers alike the Ferrari Testarossa was the ultimate stamp of success.
The last Ferrari personally approved by Enzo was the Ferrari F40. Designed to celebrate their 40 years of making automotive masterpieces, the Ferrari F40, was the fastest, most powerful and most expensive car that Ferrari sold to the public, as well as being viewed as the greatest road car of the time.
When Piero Lardi Ferrari, took over the reigns of the company after his father’s death, he ensured his legacy lived on. Having worked at Enzo’s side since 1970, Piero had the same clear vision, skill and knowledge of his father as well as his obsessive attention to detail.
Piero continues to ensure that every car Ferrari produce has the same underlying ethos of exceptional power combined with outstanding looks that were the key to Enzo’s success.
Last year saw the arrival of the Ferrari LaFerrari which took the world by storm for its unashamed dynamic looks and sheer power. This year the stable of the Prancing Horse has given us the Ferrari 488 GTB which it claims “delivers track-car standards of performance that can be used on road, every day.” Its sister, the 488 Spider, also promises the same performance and uncompromising looks in a convertible configuration which will make many eyes sparkle with pleasure and desire.
H.R. Owen have a wide range of approved used Ferrari models, as well as the full range of new Ferrari models. Please make an enquiry regarding any models that you are interested in test driving, or would like to find out more about.
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