All the Secrets of "Technology Marketing" That Made Ferrari a Myth

Myth or Marketing? Enzo Ferrari, born a driver and later the most famous car manufacturer in the world, made his company the "factory of the myth" from the very beginning. Consider this: in 1947, in a world just emerging from a devastating war, Enzo Ferrari created his first car with a V12 engine. To be precise, an extraordinary choice, as the engine was only 1500cc. Just two years later, that same engine, mounted on the small and elegant “barchetta” 166MM and increased to 1995cc, led the young Ferrari to victory in the most prestigious race in the world: the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The myth grew quickly, and the story is well-known. However, it’s intriguing to consider whether the tough, visionary, and courageous Enzo Ferrari was already implementing a precise marketing strategy focused on racing, its visibility, and its potential to develop new technologies. Perhaps Enzo didn’t know the term "Marketing", but he remains a master of it.

Roarington now seeks to present Ferrari’s most sensational innovations, starting from racing and its specific demands, to their impact on road cars—a journey that continues to this day.

The efficiency of the new 12-cylinder V engine designed by Gioachino Colombo led Ferrari to victory at Le Mans in 1949. The V12 remains a symbol of the Prancing Horse.

We will tell this story simply and compellingly, starting with examples from different eras: today, everyone talks about ground effect, downforce, and rear diffusers. It may seem strange, but these racing-developed techniques had never been applied to road cars before. The first production car with such technology was the Ferrari F355 in 1995. From then on, all manufacturers started to exploit the underbody of vehicles to increase performance, safety, and energy efficiency by reducing harmful turbulence.

The Ferrari F355 of 1995 is the first production car to feature a flat underbody to improve airflow beneath the vehicle.

The journey towards aerodynamic efficiency began long ago: in 1957, the magnificent Testa Rossa "Pontoon Fender" was designed to harness the aerodynamic efficiency of single-seaters for endurance racing. The idea was correct, but it lacked today's analytical tools, which demonstrate how the entire car, not just the front, must be integrated to achieve the best results.

The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa of 1957 introduces the "Pontoon Fender." The fenders were shaped for better aerodynamic performance.

Another powerful Ferrari invention, now used by all manufacturers, also comes from racing and legend: the electro-hydraulic gearbox that eliminates the clutch pedal and manual gearshift, replacing them with two paddles on the steering wheel. As early as 1979, Ferrari’s technical director Mauro Forghieri tested this solution on Gilles Villeneuve’s single-seater. It worked, but the driver was unconvinced, and it took 10 more years for Ferrari to debut this technology spectacularly at Jacarepaguá in Brazil in 1989: victory in the first race.

We will discuss many small or large Ferrari innovations in the coming weeks, drawing from the archives of Maranello. For now, we conclude, and we are truly convinced, that Ferrari built the myth of its cars with a great and continuous contribution of technology. Pure marketing, in other words.

The Ferrari 640 F1 of 1989, the first car to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix with the electro-hydraulic paddle-shift gearbox.