At the age of 10, Enzo Ferrari attended his first race, the Coppa Fiorio. He didn’t know it, but that race on September 6th, 1908, would change the automobile world forever. Just 21 years later, Scuderia Ferrari was formed as the racing arm of Alfa Romeo. While Enzo Ferrari would soon break from the Alfa Romeo racing team and start producing the vehicles we know and love, it is here, in 1929, where he laid the foundations. And that is why we’re celebrating 90 years of Ferrari at Ferrari Lake Forest.
Scuderia Ferrari was founded on November 16th, 1929, and quickly brought fame to Alfa Romeo, but by 1938, the automaker decided to re-enter the racing world under its own name. Alfa Corse absorbed what had been Scuderia Ferrari, a change Enzo Ferrari clearly did not agree with — he was dismissed by Alfa Romeo in 1939 and forbidden from racing under his own name for four years.
Not one to idle, Ferrari started work on the now-famous Tipo 815 in 1939. While their work paused during the war years, Ferrari recruited much of his former Alfa team after the war and established a new Scuderia Ferrari based out of Maranello — one that would design, build, and race its own cars funded by sales of vehicles like the 125 S (pictured).
With the establishment of the Formula One World Championship in 1950, the world of modern racing began to take shape. And Ferrari has been there since day one, the only team to have competed in every season of the Formula One World Championship to the current day. Ferrari did more than just compete in the races — they started setting records. While Alfa Romeo dominated the scene in 1950, Ferrari broke their streak in 1951 at the British Grand Prix thanks to José Froilán González took. The championships started to fall like dominos after that, with Ferrari bringing home world titles in 1952 and 1953.
The Formula One dominance in the early 50s simply kicked off the legacy of Ferrari-owned excellence, with Ferrari soon claiming six of the first seven World Sportscar Championships and winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans 6 years in a row from 1960 to 1965. It’s these incredible beginnings to a racing legacy that have led us to powerhouses like the SF90 Stradale, and it’s why we celebrate at Ferrari Lake Forest.
Whether you’re a newcomer to Ferrari or you know the names and dates of every trophy won, we want to talk with you about the history and legacy of Scuderia Ferrari. It’s amazing how much the Ferrari name has come to mean after 90 years. If you’re looking for a way to bring that legacy home, we have plenty of options open to you, too.
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