Ferrari’s Technological Innovations Part 2: The Revolution of the Early Years

Enzo Ferrari always aimed for victory: "second place is just the first loser", he would remind his team, urging them never to forget their mission: to win. This drive for success fueled the technological innovations introduced by Ferrari from 1947, when he unveiled his first car, the 125 S. These innovations were born from the insights and experiences of men, mostly engineers, who brought significant and profound advances to both racing and road cars. The key point is this: not inventions, although there were many and some were quite successful, but innovative ideas originally developed for other fields, particularly aviation, that were applied to competition cars.

The first Ferrari, the 125 S from 1947, equipped with a 60° V12 engine and 1497cc, designed by Gioachino Colombo.

One of the first major innovations, driven by Enzo Ferrari’s belief in surpassing supercharged engines, was the creation of sophisticated, light, and compact engines. His first 12-cylinder V engine from 1947, with just 1500cc, was a revolutionary choice for its time. Designed by engineer Gioachino Colombo, this engine could reach over 6000 rpm, producing a magnificent sound, acceleration, and torque that quickly surpassed other racing cars of the era. However, Ferrari’s excellence wasn’t limited to the V12 choice. Ferrari’s engines were packed with technical innovations: they were short-stroke (oversquare), used highly efficient hairpin-type valve springs (inspired by motorcycle engineering), and thanks to Ferrari’s collaboration with Weber, featured single, double, or even four-barrel carburetors. These innovations maximized combustion efficiency through careful resonance studies.

The brilliance wasn’t just in high-cylinder-count engines (like the 12-cylinder) but also compact and light engines like the 4-cylinder inline engine by engineer Aurelio Lampredi, which used the sophisticated "individual cylinders screwed into the head" technique. This resulted in a more compact design and eliminated vulnerable head gaskets.

Gioachino Colombo in the pits at Monza in 1949 with two mechanics. His innovations allowed Ferrari to win races right away.

Ferrari’s first Formula 1 World Championship race victory came in 1951 at Silverstone with the naturally aspirated 4.5-liter V12, defeating the supercharged Alfa Romeos. But Ferrari’s first two World Titles were won with a smaller 2-liter, 4-cylinder engine. Incredibly, this engine, which powered Alberto Ascari to World Championships in 1952 and 1953, won 14 out of 15 World Championship races.

Alberto Ascari driving the 500 F2 with an innovative 1984cc inline 4-cylinder engine designed by Aurelio Lampredi. He won the Formula 1 World Championship in 1952 and 1953.

To conclude this second chapter on Ferrari’s technical and stylistic evolution, two more innovations revolutionized car design. First, the 500 F2 was the first car to adopt air intake designs inspired by the emerging jet aircraft. Its front end featured a pronounced air intake to efficiently cool the radiator. From that point on, race cars gradually abandoned traditional grilles and brand emblems in favor of clean, open fronts for better airflow. The second design breakthrough was the iconic "166 MM Barchetta" by Touring, which gave Ferrari its first victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1949. The longitudinal cut along the side and rounded rear gave this famous spider its name.

The beautiful 166MM, a car that made Ferrari history, winning the Mille Miglia and 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1949.