In today's automotive landscape, where supercar pranks are getting out of hand and rappers treat lavish machines like they are t-shirts, we're all in dire need of anchor points, perhaps pieces of advice that remind us cars are more than things money can buy.
Today, February 18, is an excellent day for taking advice, since it's Enzo Ferrari's birthday. The founder of the Prancing Horse, who was born in 1898 and passed away on August 14, 1988, had plenty of life lessons to give and we're here to share some of his guidance with you.
From behind the shades that accompanied him through the late part of his life, the great leader that Enzo was found the time to share his wisdom in front of the camera. In an imaginary interview with the great Italian (Enzo obviously took great pride in his nationality), we could ask the man three main questions. Our Maranello-savvy readers are probably aware of these things, but for the rest of the world, we'd be thrilled to see Enzo explaining what fueled his dream.
In his quest to build the Rosso Corsa empire, Enzo wasn't the most emphatic character, with this leading to enough conflicts for some of his best men to walk away and build their own dreams. Much like the man himself did when he left Alfa Romeo. So what kept Enzo afloat in such difficult moments? The answer comes courtesy of the Ferrari archive, being delivered in the first piece of footage below.
Many people imagine Enzo had a clear vision of how Ferrari would develop from the very beginning. That's far from the truth. The iconic aficionado initially strived to build and drive the best racing machines ever made, caring little for what happened outside the track.
In fact, the road cars we can buy today were born merely as a way for Enzo to sustain his racing activities. How did it all grow in his mind? You'll find the answer in the second clip below. Returning to The Racecar, Enzo's muse, pride and joy, the piece of footage at the bottom of the page shows how the F man treated such pieces of machinery.
Il Commendatore wasn't always right (remember his "aerodynamics are for those who can't build engines" line), but while that is owed to his human condition, he displayed superhuman abilities when it came to four-wheeled creations, which is why we'll always keep a special place for him in the garage that is our heart.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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