Ferrari is an Italian luxury sports
car manufacturer based in Maranello. It was founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1939 out
of Alfa Romeo's race division as Auto Avio Costruzioni. The company built its
first car in 1940. However, the company's inception as an auto manufacturer is
recognized in 1947, when the first Ferrari-badged car was completed.
In 2014, Ferrari was rated the
world's most powerful brand by Brand Finance. In May 2012, the 1962 Ferrari 250
GTO became the most expensive car in history. It was sold in a private
transaction for USD 38.1 million to American communications magnate Craig McCaw.
In 2018, it was sold at a price of USD 70 million to another Ferrari collector,
breaking its own record.
Throughout its history, the company
has been noted for its continued participation in racing, especially in Formula
One. There it has been among the most successful racing teams, holding the most
constructors’ championships (16). It is also known for having produced the
highest number of winning drivers (15).
The 125 S was the first car ever with
the Ferrari badge on it. It was more of a sportscar – for someone who liked
going really fast in style. The 166 Inter, designed to be a grand tourer, was
introduced in 1949. Even today, what Ferrari sells are mostly road cars. A lot
of their cars feature bodywork designed by coachbuilders like Zagato, Bertone,
Vignale, Pininfarina and Scaglietti. However, since early 2010, Ferraris have
been designed in-house from the Centro Stile Ferrari.
The early road cars were front-engine
V12, two-seaters. The Dino was the first mid-engined two-seater from Ferrari in
1968. It employed a V6 engine layout which was later used on many Ferraris
produced from the 1980s, till today. Presently, new Ferrari cars use either V8
bi-turbo or V12 engines.
Ferrari also makes front-engine 2+2
cars, like the V12 GTC 4 Lusso and the V8 Portofino and Lusso T. The company
started off making mid-engined V12s in 1973, with the Berlinetta Boxer and
later, the Testarossa.
In
India, Ferrari car pricing and positioning puts them in the supercar territory
amongst the Lamborghinis, Aston Martins, and Bentleys.