Ferrari, Where He Spent the Rest of the War Eand Grew up Surrounded by Whose Childhood Ended Abruptly
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NZO ANSELMO FERR A RI was admired by the outside world. This was posted to the mountain regiment born on February 18, 1898, seems certainly true for Enzo Ferrari, where he spent the rest of the war Eand grew up surrounded by whose childhood ended abruptly. shoeing mules. craftsmen who were artists in metal - people like Weber and Maserati, Enzo’s father died of pneumonia His first brush with the motor in- names still famous in the world of in 1916, and Enzo’s older brother, dustry was in Turin immediately after motoring. Dino, died in a military hospital the war when he unsuccessfully applied soon after. The family business went for a job at Fiat.While working as a The Ferrari family were pros- bankrupt. Enzo joined the army and vehicle delivery man in Bologna, Enzo perous metalwork- met racing driver Ugo ers in Modena, Italy Sivocci, who hired him – a c i t y f a m o u s as an assistant. Although for its craftsmen. They Enzo was to participate were among the first in a number of races over in the district to own a the following years, his motor car. career as a driver never amounted to much. In the public mind, Enzo Ferrari was a bril- It was Enzo’s asso- liant designer who pro- ciation with Alfa Romeo duced generations of that established him as a classic racing and sports key player in the interna- cars which carried his tional racing circuit. His name to victory all over initial relationship with the world. Nothing Alfa Romeo was as an could be further from exclusive dealer for the the truth. As Enzo region around Modena. himself once said “I Gradually his motoring have never considered myself a de- interests grew, both as a dealer and rac- signer or an inventor, but only the FERRARI ing promoter, until he travelled almost one who gets things moving and keeps continuously. them running.” Official name:Ferrari Enzo was married in 1923, but S.p.A. Enzo Ferrari was as much a co- as Enzo’s biographer Brock Yates put ordinator and manipulator as a it: “It is reasonable to assume that Owned by: Fiat (85%) Enzo was brought up in a relatively developer. All of his company’s most • Piero Ferrari (10%) normal Italian household, with Papa brilliant designs were the work of • Mubadala Development Ferrari operating as the undisputed others. Enzo’s work of genius was to Co (5%). keep his organisation functioning despot, demanding respect from his over nearly five decades, through a children and silent, grovelling sub- Current situation: servience from [his wife]....Mothers mixture of intrigue, persuasion and Ferrari is currently a were worshipped, wives tolerated and sheer determination. marginally profitable arm other women treated as objects of of the financially shaky either scorn or lust, or both. Women, Fiat group. However, to men like Ferrari and his forebears, a global economic fell into two simplistic categories: the downturn is likely to see chaste females who produced them Ferrari’s sales slashed. and lustful, low-life harlots from Economic depressions are whom they selected their mistresses always tough for luxury and concubines.” carmakers. ENZO FERRARI Although Enzo had only one le- Chances of survival: gitimate child – his son Dino – there Okay. Regardless of Sir Winston Churchill once said were almost certainly unknown others what happens to Fiat, it’s that all great men have unhappy child- (Ferrari’s mistress, Lina Lardi, gave inconceivable that Italy hoods – in reaction to the poverty birth to Enzo’s other known son, Piero, would let Ferrari go • and powerlessness of their personal in 1945). lives, they seek to build rich empires All content © The Dog & Lemon Guide 2011. All rights reserved Enzo’s career took off when he Although Enzo was no slug when it worked; Alfa Romeo, using one of formed a racing company - Scuderia came to manipulating business relation- Enzo’s drivers, sped to victory, while (meaning ‘racing stable’) Ferrari - ships to his own advantage, Alfa Romeo Ferrari team members came second. with Alfa Romeo and several rich was never innocent either. Ferrari was Just one year later, however, Alfa’s local noblemen in 1929. The new often given unproven machines to management initially declined to pass partnership produced high-perform- race, in order to save face if the new over the new P3 models, leaving the ance Alfas raced by the company’s machines broke down. Supply of new Scuderia Ferrari team trying to race hired drivers. As a sideline, Enzo & racing equipment that looked like win- with dated racing technology. his wife produced equivalent road ning, however, was often kept for Alfa’s cars for wealthy amateurs. own team. Despite this handicap, the Scuderia team put on a brave showing at the Ferrari’s return to Modena was Monaco Grand Prix, and might easily something of a triumphant return, have won had the engine of the out- and carried with it the strong element dated 8C Monza not disintegrated on of ‘payback’. To quote Brock Yates: the last lap. Enzo’s drivers persevered, “...vendetta was a theme that ran but they lost because they were driv- throughout his life, the notion that ing old cars. One by one they quit. no slight would go unforgotten, Ferrari desperately hired replacement that no insult would go unpaid, and drivers, and eventually got his P3 rac- that honour in such situations tran- ing cars from Alfa Romeo, which had scended all practical needs... This previously simply stored them after ENZO FERRARI same refusal to forget would cause withdrawing from racing. him to patiently wait fifty years – half a century – before he believed Tragically, Enzo lost three of his Fiat’s debt to him, incurred by their drivers to road crashes in a single year, refusal to hire him in 1918, was fully Most of Ferrari’s yet he kept racing. With his new cars, repaid.” myth was a he was successful. Scuderia Ferrari was distortion or often now the official Alfa Romeo racing There were problems with the Alfa completely untrue. department. relationship from the start. However much the Alfa management valued The purpose of the Enzo joined the Fascist Party in its relationship with Enzo, Scuderia myth was partly 1934. Given his total non-involve- Ferrari was in direct competition to sell cars, but ment in politics up to this point it with its own racing department, both is probably safe to say that this was a on and off the racetrack, for they mostly to boost matter of good business; fascists con- were also competing for the same the seemingly trolled much of Italy’s business world sponsorship money from companies insatiable ego and especially Alfa Romeo. However, like Champion Spark Plugs. of a man whose he freely used his company’s newslet- ter for Fascist promotions over the The Scuderia Ferrari team did childhood had next few years. moderately well, considering the suddenly ended times. There were several successes, in death and From 1933 till 1938, The Scuderia although major victories were few. bankruptcy. Ferrari team with Nuvolari fought an That’s hardly surprising when you increasingly uneven battle against the consider what the team was up German teams of Daimler-Benz and against. First, Alfa Romeo was Auto Union. Two things brought sometimes racing in competition this event about. One was a French with Ferrari. Further, Ferrari had rule designed to limit the seemingly- to struggle to keep his own racing out-of-control speed of many racing operation working; the fascist dicta- In 1932, Enzo’s son Alfredo (almost cars by limiting them to a maximum tor Mussolini was pressuring all car always known by the nickname Dino) weight of 750kg. This was quickly companies to go into production of was born. The other important event in noted as a golden opportunity by military hardware instead. Racing Enzo’s life was the Mille Miglia (thou- German designers Ferdinand Porsche drivers died frequently. The world’s sand mile) race. Alfa & Ferrari worked and Dr. Hans Nibel, of Daimler-Benz. economy was in serious depression. together to snatch back this all-impor- Instead of the clumsy old designs The fact that Scuderia Ferrari kept tant prize from Mercedes, which had which were dominating European going, let alone won anything, was won the previous year. The cooperation motor racing at the time, why not put a considerable feat. All content © The Dog & Lemon Guide 2011. All rights reserved hugely powerful engines into super- before the war. From the death of the However, it would be a big mistake lightweight cars? Auto Avia 815, the 125 Ferrari Sport to assume that Ferrari’s success was was born, lovingly brought into the due to superior technology. That’s Hitler backed these good ideas world by master craftsmen Gioachino simply not true. Despite a public with Deutschmarks. He had decided Colombo and Luigi Bazzi, while Enzo image of Ferrari the wizard technolo- that the honour of the German na- himself indulged his passions for in- gist, the opposite was probably more tion was at stake, and therefore the trigue, manipulation and women. accurate. Until Fiat took over many Germans had to win all races; with years later, Ferrari racing cars only won massive state and private funding, The 125 was the first vehicle to when there was no serious opposition that’s more or less what happened. carry the name Ferrari and the legen- – for example, after the war when Although Hitler’s money was no- dary prancing horse logo. The 125 was the Germans were banned and Alfa where near enough to cover the cost built at Ferrari’s new plant among the Romeo was too broke to compete.