BrandsFerrari — History, Models and Everything You Need to Know
AI-generated concept illustration — Ferrari brand overview. | Rev N Rise
Ferrari is the most powerful automotive brand in the world — a name that transcends cars entirely and exists as a symbol of passion, performance and Italian artistry recognised on every continent. Founded in Maranello in 1947 by Enzo Ferrari, the brand has won more Formula 1 championships than any other constructor, produced some of the most beautiful and exciting cars in history and maintained a level of desirability that no marketing campaign can manufacture — only decades of extraordinary products can create.
Enzo Ferrari was a racing driver and team manager before he was a car manufacturer. He managed the Scuderia Ferrari racing team — operating within Alfa Romeo's racing programme — from 1929 before a dispute with Alfa Romeo led him to establish his own company in 1939. Initially prohibited from using the Ferrari name on racing cars by a non-compete agreement with Alfa Romeo, the first car officially badged as a Ferrari — the 125 S — was completed on March 12 1947 in Maranello. It used a 1.5-litre V12 engine — establishing the V12 as Ferrari's defining powerplant signature from the very first car.
Ferrari's early road cars were essentially race cars with concessions for road use — the legendary 250 GTO of 1962 is now the most valuable car in the world, with examples selling at auction for over $70 million. The Dino of 1967 introduced a mid-engine layout that would define Ferrari's sports cars for decades. The 308 — familiar globally from the Magnum P.I. television series — brought Ferrari to a wider audience. The Testarossa, F40, F50, Enzo and LaFerrari form a lineage of halo hypercars that each defined the performance benchmark of their era.
Ferrari was partially owned by Fiat from 1969 — when Enzo Ferrari sold a 50 percent stake to fund the racing programme — and eventually became fully part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. In 2016, Ferrari was separated from FCA and listed as an independent company on the New York Stock Exchange — the most significant corporate event in the brand's history. The Agnelli family's Exor holding company remains the largest shareholder.
Scuderia Ferrari is the only constructor to have competed in every Formula 1 World Championship season since the series began in 1950. In 75 years of competition Ferrari has won 16 Constructors' Championships and 15 Drivers' Championships — more than any other team. Drivers champions include Alberto Ascari, Mike Hawthorn, Phil Hill, John Surtees, Niki Lauda, Jody Scheckter, Michael Schumacher — who won five consecutive titles from 2000 to 2004 — and Kimi Räikkönen. Ferrari's F1 programme is not merely a marketing exercise — it is the soul of the company. Enzo Ferrari famously described road cars as what funded the racing. That relationship remains fundamental to Ferrari's identity today.
Ferrari's competitive position is unique in the automotive world — it is the only manufacturer whose demand consistently and deliberately exceeds supply. Ferrari carefully controls production volumes — delivering just over 13,000 cars globally in 2023 — to maintain the exclusivity that underpins its pricing power. A Ferrari buyer typically waits years for allocation of the most desirable models. The brand's XX programme — track-only hypercars available exclusively to invited clients — creates a hierarchy of ownership that generates intense loyalty among the ultra-wealthy. The Purosangue — Ferrari's first four-door, four-seat vehicle — was greeted with horror by purists and immediately became one of the most waitlisted vehicles in the brand's history. Ferrari's first electric car — the Elettrica — will be the most scrutinised automotive product of 2025. Whether it delivers the emotional engagement that has defined every Ferrari since the 125 S will determine whether the brand's transition to electrification can be achieved without sacrificing the soul that makes Ferrari irreplaceable.
