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How Enzo Ferrari Started Out: The Birth of an Automotive Visionary

Growing up an uneducated man, Enzo Ferrari started out life as a mule-skinner, but became one of automotive industry's biggest visionaries by founding the Ferrari racing team and eventually the luxury sports car brand that bears his name. What started as a lifetime desire to race cars developed into one of the most luxurious sports cars ever manufactured.

Ferrari Turns His Dream Into a Dream for Others

“The Ferrari is a dream - people dream of owning this special vehicle and for most people it will remain a dream apart from for those lucky few,” Ferrari said about his production sports cars. During his career at Alfa Romeo, Ferrari would have many ups and downs. Even though his Scuderia Ferrari racing team would be a successful venture for Alfa, the company would eventually pull their funding for the race team in 1933.

Lesson #1: Consistency is Important

"Consistency is the most important thing in business," Enzo Ferrari once said. Ferrari began racing open wheeled race cars for Alfa Romeo and gained success by being a consistent driver on the local circuit. His success was so consistent that Alfa offered him a spot on the more prestigious racing circuit. He turned them down and for some unknown reason, did not race again for another four years.

Lesson #2: Pursue Ambitious Goals

"It is not negotiable," Enzo Ferrari told his employees about advancing the technology of his race cars. Ferrari believed that you had to pursue ambitious goals to be successful in the automotive industry. Even though he only built production cars to support his racing teams, Ferrari still believed that a person had to set high goals for everything they did, whether it be racing cars or designing cars. It did not matter to him if the car was designed to win a race or to be driven on the streets by everyday drivers, he demanded the highest standards from his employees, as well as himself.

Lesson #3: Look Towards the Future

"Aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines," Said Enzo Ferrari. The car engine was the most important thing that Ferrari concentrated on when he was building race and production cars. The innovations, horsepower and designs were unmatched by any other manufacturer when Ferrari first attempted to innovate his race cars. Only after the success of his engines did his competitor's believe that his innovations were a viable option.

Lesson #4: Keep Up With Your Competitors

“You stick to building tractors and I will stick to building sports cars," Enzo Ferrari said to Ferruccio Lamborghini when he presented some concerns about the Ferrari automobile Lamborghini owned. This started a rivalry that would make Enzo learn that the rest of the car was also important.

Lesson #5: People Are More Important Than Cars

“There is no triumph or glory in the world that's worth an inch of human skin," Enzo Ferrari was once quoted as saying after one of his drivers was killed in a race accident. Ferrari faced a lot of tragedy in his life, including the death of his first son, Alfredo Ferrari, best known as Dino. This death affected Ferrari throughout his career and made him pay a lot of attention to people.

Building an Icon: The Making of Ferrari

Many people wonder how a man with little formal education made it to the top of the automotive industry. Critics doubted him, clients thought he was egotistical and few people really knew Enzo Ferrari personally, but this man went from having the desire to race cars to building one of the most iconic sports brands in history.

Enzo Ferrari Quotes

Enzo Ferrari Quotes

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