Trending

February 18 – Happy Birthday, Enzo Ferrari

February 18, 2015

nPostednon February 18, 2015

nEnzonFerrari loved race cars. From age 10, he wanted to be a race carndriver. He had to overcome a lack of education, a lack ofnopportunities, the flu, and two wars to succeed in the car world –nbut he followed his bliss and made it!

nBornnon this date in 1898 in Modena, Italy, Ferrari saw a dangerous andnexciting car race when he was ten years old. He decided right thennand there that race car driving was what he wanted to do.

nWorldnWar I found him in the artillery division of the Italian Army. Flunpandemics killed his father and a brother, and Enzo Ferrari becamenseriously ill as well—so ill, he was discharged from the army. Hencame home to find his family’s business had collapsed.

Ferrarintook on a series of car-related jobs ranging from redesigning usedntruck bodies into smaller cars to managing the development of racencars. In the meantime, he also entered competitions and local races.nHe raced from 1919 to 1932, with some success, and he also built up anteam of over forty race car drivers. n

n
n
n
n
n
n
n

Ferrarinstarted his own company, eventually – but then another World Warninterceded. Ferrari was forced to do war production for Mussolini’snfascist government, and it was only after the war that Ferrari couldnstart making cars bearing his name.

nAtnthis point, Ferrari started to really take off. His cars and driversnsucceeded in many races – his cars sold – he was able to sellnpart of his company to Fiat yet remain in control of the racingnactivities – and Ferrari himself managed to live to age 90.

This prancing horse logo came from
the fuselage of a wrecked plane of
an Italian WWI ace pilot.

nTherenis controversy surrounding Ferrari and his management and leadershipnstyle, and of course auto racing isn’t the safest of occupations ornhobbies. However, it is interesting to learn about a boy with fewnprospects but a passion following his dreams to success.