Low Miles! Collector Condition! New Clutch! Xtra Whls! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Enzo Ferrari would have turned 120 yesterday

Former race driver-turned company founder Enzo Ferrari was born 120 years ago Sunday, and the Italian sports car maker is celebrating the anniversary with a photography exhibit of his life at the Enzo Ferrari Museum, on the site of his birthplace in Modena. The exhibit includes images of il Commendatore during various stages of his life, from childhood to his career as an Alfa Romeo race driver, then a manager and manufacturer. Ferrari died Aug. 14, 1988 at the age of 90. Born outside of Modena, Italy in 1898. His father, Alfredo, owned a small metal engineering shop that built bridges and roofs for the state railway. Enzo started out as an Alfa Romeo racing driver in 1924 but quickly transitioned to his true talent, preparing the race cars under the Scuderia Ferrari name. He ran Alfa Romeo's factory team before striking out on his own, first under the name Auto Avio Costruzioni in 1939, then as Scuderia Ferrari, which he founded in 1929 in Modena, fielding mostly Alfa racing cars and motorbikes. The 125 S was the first official car to bear his name in 1947, powered by a V12. Ferrari under his watch went on to produce other classics including the 288 GTO, the Dino series and the 365 Daytona. The iconic businessman reluctantly agreed to start producing street cars only thanks to the pleading of his accountants, who argued for the need for revenue to cover the overhead of racing and two different factories destroyed during World War II bombings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. According to a 1979 People Magazine profile, he once reacted indignantly to the distraught wife of a Ferrari race team driver who was anguished over her husband risking his life "for a hunk of iron." "It's not just a hunk of iron," Ferrari replied. "It has a heart and soul, and I give if life." Nowadays, Ferrari is looking to expand its product portfolio to hybrids and an SUV, the latter of which might've made Enzo squirm. "He was a man with extraordinary vision and ability to manage people and resources as well as a strong entrepreneurial spirit and exceptional courage," current Ferrari Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne said in a statement.

Chris Harris brings together the 918 Spyder, LaFerrari, and P1

The Porsche 918 Spyder, Ferrari LaFerrari, and McLaren P1 show that a hybrid powertrain can make for blistering performance despite its electric assist. This trio doesn't arrive on track together very often, but Chris Harris assembled these three stars at the Portimao circuit for a nearly hour-long demonstration of their amazing capabilities. So, which one is quickest around the track? Harris provides an answer with in-car video of all three contenders. His team also goes out of its way to even the playing field by sourcing tires independently from Pirelli for the P1 and LaFerrari. With the technical part out of the way, Harris can start having fun by doing his usual slides during the driving comparison. Tiff Needell and Marino Franchitti also eventually show up to provide the perfect recipe for a track battle in these hypercars. If you don't have the time, skip about 14:25 into the clip just to see the lap times. However, those numbers only tell a tiny part of the story. The whole video is definitely worth a watch.

'No pink': Why there are some colors Ferrari won't do

Off the top of your head, how many colors do you think Ferraris come in? There's the famous rosso corsa, of course. Then there's yellow, which is objectively the best Ferrari color. I know a guy with a pristine early-90s 348ts in coke-dealer white, and there are definitely black and silver Ferraris out there. But if you've ever wondered why you can't get a Ferrari in any garish color you want, a Ferrari exec recently discussed which of the company's colors are most popular and why you'll never see a pink Ferrari. "It just doesn't fit into our whole ethos to be honest," Ferrari's Australasia CEO Herbert Appleroth told news.com.au. "It's a brand rule. No pink. No Pokemon Ferraris!" When asked about other colors, Appleroth suggested that while they might be OK for other, more plebeian cars, they were not right for Ferrari. "There are other colors that aren't in our DNA as well, and they are wonderful colors too, but some are perhaps more suited to other brands." Appleworth went on to say that Ferrari strives to provide a highly customizable car-buying experience. "Enzo Ferrari used to say a different Ferrari for every Ferrari-ista, as globally we don't want two cars to be the same," he told News.com. "There are many different levels of personalization from sitting in the dealership and working through all of your options to the tailor-made program where you fly to Italy to the factory in Maranello and sit in the atelier and work out your specifications." So, while big-bucks supercar buyers have near infinite interior and drivetrain options when ordering a new Ferrari, they'll have to settle for after market sprays or custom wraps to get that perfect shade of pink on their Lusso.Related Video: News Source: News.com.au Auto News Ferrari paint colors customize