Overview & Reviews

When you're talking about machines built for speed, they don't get much faster or sexier than those from Ferrari. Founded more than 60 years ago, the Italian brand has secured a berth at the top of the heap with its high-dollar, high-performance sports cars.

Ferrari's roots lie in Scuderia Ferrari (which means "stable of Ferrari"), an outfit founded in 1929 by Enzo Ferrari for the purpose of organizing amateur drivers for participation in racing competitions. Ferrari was an accomplished racecar driver, with numerous wins under his belt. The company's prancing horse symbol was originally seen on the fuselage of a plane flown by a heroic Italian pilot; Ferrari was invited to use the emblem by the pilot's mother, as a good-luck charm for his vehicles.

By the 1930s, Ferrari had begun laying the groundwork to build a vehicle of his own. Two cars were produced in 1940, but they did not bear the Ferrari name. The cars participated in the Mille Miglia race, but soon after, World War II put a halt to their time on the racetrack. In 1943, Ferrari began constructing a factory on a plot of land he owned in the village of Maranello; it suffered bomb damage, but was completely rebuilt by 1946. By the end of the decade, the first Ferrari vehicle, the 125 S, had been unveiled, as had the 166 Barchetta.

The marque scored its first world championship Grand Prix win in 1950 at the British Grand Prix. Throughout the 1950s and '60s, Ferrari continued to distinguish itself on the racetrack, racking up win after win under Enzo's solid leadership while also producing beautiful road cars such as the 250 California, 275 GTB, 365 GTB4 "Daytona" and "Dino" 246 GT, named to honor the founder's deceased son Alfredino (Dino).

By the 1970s, Ferrari sold 50 percent of his company to Fiat. Luckily, Fiat was very hands-off in its role as part owner. The sale didn't impact Ferrari's focus, and the brand continued on its path of producing exclusive, high-end machines. New models like the 308 GT4, 308 GTB and 365 GT4 BB (Berlinetta Boxer) were introduced.

The 1980s saw Fiat's stake in the company rise to 90 percent, with the remainder being owned by the Ferrari family. Enzo's son Pietro was named vice president. The decade also saw the death of the company's founder, as Enzo Ferrari passed away in Modena in 1988. During this decade, models like the Mondial, 288 GTO, F40 and Testarossa were launched.

Ferrari welcomed the Maserati brand into its family in 1997; Maserati had previously been acquired by parent company Fiat. The Ferrari team had lost some of its luster on the racetrack since the death of Enzo, but all that changed when it ushered racetrack legend Michael Schumacher into its ranks in the mid-'90s. Schumacher was responsible for several notable wins, and helped restore much of the legendary brand's glory on the track. A new V12 grand touring model, the 550 Maranello, was launched, as was the F355 sports car and F50 supercar.

The first decade of the new millennium saw Ferrari launching a variety of models. Highlights included the  F430, Enzo, 599 GTB Fiorano and 458 Italia. Today, Ferrari continues to reign atop the short list for buyers with a thirst for high-priced, high-powered and highly styled Italian metal.

User Reviews:

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  An actual owner - 2001 Ferrari 456M
  By Allan - September 28 - 2:00 am

  Driving a V-12 Ferrari feels like an event every time you get behind the wheel. The sound, the tactile impression of the seats and all of the controls is very satisfying and the performance is stunning-lots of torque, effortless acceleration, perfectly balanced steering, cornering grip and powerful brakes, as you would expect. But there are maddening quality issues that far cheaper cars solved decades ago: alarm sirens that die, motor mounts that need to be replaced, windows that dont fit properly and HVAC control surfaces that get sticky with age.

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  Get the Rock Star Treatment - 2006 Ferrari F430
  By banx - August 22 - 2:17 pm

  Its a fantastic vehicle, all you can possibly imagine. While a few tenths of a second off the 0-60 pace of a Corvette Z06 or a Nissan GT-R, those cars dont get the looks or attention this car gets. A Porsche 911 Turbo is almost invisible next to this Ferrari. It has the F1 transmission, but be WARNED, its not reliable. The entire transmission had to be replaced under warranty at 3K miles. The OEM optional Blaupunkt Hi-powered stereo just croaked at 5K miles (not covered by warranty), even though it had barely been used the past 12 months (engine sound was too intoxicating to listen to the radio for more than 5 minutes) and was never played at more than low volume in the driveway.

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  Best Ferrari So Far! - 2005 Ferrari F430
  By ferraristi - December 28 - 11:23 am

  This is my third Ferrari I have owned. A Testarossa, Maranello 550 now this beautiful example of styling, performance and unbelievable driving experience. This is such a vast improvement over the 360 which I also tested. It has the ability to transform from an every day drive, to a full race performance all by simply switching the settings on your steering wheel. The performance is a given, but the exhaust sound alone takes you to the track and turns heads in amazement. The handling is superb. Highly recommend. Live your dream!! this is as close as you get to driving an F1.

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  LOVE IT! :) - 2005 Ferrari SuperAmerica
  By audikrazy - December 20 - 7:28 pm

  This car is amazing, i thought it would be a good investment because it is a rare build. I hope that i am correct. My wife wants to dirve this car 24/7!!! My son wants to take it to prom!!! it shows that everyone wants this car. !!!!!!

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  For enthusiasts only - 2008 Ferrari 430 Scuderia
  By ccmd75013 - August 1 - 4:33 am

  The Scuderia is a serious racing car which happens to be street legal. I traded my Lamborghini Galardo for the Scuderia and what a difference! The Scuderia comes with no radio, floor mats or any creature comforts. The acceleration is neck snapping and the exhaust note changes loudness depending on the pedal pressure becoming extremely loud at above 5000 RPM. The steering is extremely light (big difference from the Lambo)and controlling this light car in hard acceleration takes a bit of getting used to. The ceramic brakes are extremely touchy and again take a while to get used to. The seats are very hard and even short drives can be hard on the back. Wouldnt recommend this car to first timers

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  Waste of my precious money - 2002 Ferrari 575M
  By Dodgeowner - July 1 - 2:00 am

  This car simply wasted my money. I liked the style, and the horsepower was incredible, but in the Snow here in Nova Scotia, it is going to be a rough winter. I love the look, and the hummers in the front seat, but I hate the fact that I wasted 200K of my inheritance to buy an overpriced speedster. Nice ride, ugly price.