Tuesday October 17, 2006

Enzo Ferrari - An Agitator of men

Enzo Ferrari A life is an excellent book by Richard Williams. I reread it the other week. Here are some interesting snippets from a book well worth reading - even if you re not a member of the Tifosi.

He said he was an agitator of men to correct people who thought he designed the Ferrari cars that carried his name.

His day sbefore he died were a strict routine, a visit to the barbers, then to see the family tomb, read the papers at the Modena office before going to Maranello to sign various papers with the trademark voilet ink his father used. He then had lunch, a rest until 4pm then back to the office until 8pm.

His father ran a large metalworking business in Modena an area that employed 60,000 men doing this sort of work before the First World war.

His father died in the Great War, and it nearly cost Enzo his life. His brother also perished.

He first saw Scarlet cars which was the international Italian car colour when he was young and decided then he would be a racing driver.

The Black Prancing Horse was alledgedly an emblem introduced to him by Count Enrico Baracca father of a late fighter ace. The yellow background is the colour for the Modena area.

He started his team Scuderia Ferrari as a works team using Alpha cars which his team tuned and modified after he decided others were better drivers than him. The teams first race was at the famous Mille Miglia.

His only legitimate son Dino was born from his marriage with Laura Garello in 1932. He was christened Alfredo after his grandfather and dead uncle. He died at the age of 24. The arrival of the son made Ferrari hang up his driving gloves for good. Meanwhile Ferrari had a long standing affair with Lina Lardi with whom he had an illegitimate son Piero who worked at Ferrari factory. Laura and Piero were allowed to use the Ferrari name after his wife died.

Nuvolari must have been Ferraris favourite driver - he said that Nuvolari contributed at least 65% of the total effort normally split evenly between car and driver. He died not from a accident but from long exposure to petrol fumes. The last rights read to him said - You will travel faster along the roads of heaven.

The Second World war were lean years for his team with the car manufacturers concentrating on the war effort. He moved to a safer location in Maranello in 1942 starting with a prefab shed on the site of a farm.

His first real Ferrari designed and built car was the twelve cylinder 125S designed by Colombo. Three varients were built; a 125 Sport, 125 Competition and a 125 Grand Prix car. Ferrari drove his first car out of the gates for its first test drive. It grabebd pole in its first ever race but the car failed to finish.

Soon the rich and famous come to see Ferrari - he refused to go and see people and never saw his cars race - he waited for the phone to ring with news. However his son Dino health starts to decline.

Ferrari renegaded on a agreement with Sterling Moss who then decided he would never drive for him. He was tempted again but had a bad accident and retired from racing afterwards having never driven a Ferrari in a race. Moss's nemesis Fangio did however and wass very sucessful in those cars.

After many years of insisting the horse pulled the cart he followed the English teams and put the engine in the back, in the sharknose Dino 156. The excellent Ford DFV makes its appearance at this time in Formula one.

He sold the company to Fiat in 1969. He did however maintain control over the racing team - a clause Henry Ford refused when he was going to buy the company and then said he would kick Ferrari's ass on the racetrack and did so beating him at Le Mans.

The most terrible accident where a driver was injured in a Ferrari must have been at Nurburgring the horrific injuries that Lauda suffered - and to Ferrari's surprise how quickly he came back to racing.

A close favourite for Ferrari must have been Villneuve who had an acrimonious rift with his teammate Pironi. Gilles drove with the famous number 27 on his car.

Just before he died he spoke to the pope. He said after the assasination attempt the Pope was in his thoughts and said he was sorry not to have met him. I think he was hedging his bets for when he was to met St Peter. His favourite car was always the one that would next bring home the next victory. In later years he was known as the old man.