Would Enzo be proud?

Andy, if he were to come back and say "A Ferrari is a 12-pole armature biodiesel lithium-electric hybrid car" it somehow wouldn't be quite the same, now would it?

 

I think he would wake up and say " How are we doing in F1?" And not even mention the road cars. As long as they are paying for the racing he'd be just fine with everything IMHO

 

Yes, I think he would in large part, especially w the racing team since that was his heart

as far as the road cars he'd be estatic w the massive profits which he always wanted to feed his F1 team

as for the cars I dont think he'd be wild about the 612 but he'd probably love the 430 Scuderia

 

I think that he might be blown away by the fact that winnings/TV-money, sponsorships and other deals have made the team almost totally self-sustaining and that the road cars no longer have to have anything to do with the team if need be!

 

Hi think he would be pleasantly surprised to hear that branding and logo sales makes more money for the race team than do the road cars.

 

Andy, You pose a thoughtful question, that causes a review of Ferrari's History, and knowledge of the Old Man, himself. Wouldn't it be amazing to find out that when we get to the otherside, that Enzo, himself had a hand in things, from there, with Pope John Paul II, nudging him in the ribs, with his elbow, and St. Peter, keeeping an eye on both of them, when he would get a little too carried away with things! But if that were true, how did the McLaren-Stepney fraecas, happen?

I think Enzo Ferrari, would look at the new factory in awe. He would learn of the Scuderia's dominance, with his German Champion Michael Schumacher, and costs of racing, would leave him with his mouth open. He would be very happy, and happy that Piero Ferrari, was accepted as his son, and heir to the Ferrari name and legacy.

I'd like to have Lunch or Dinner with him at the Cavalino Restauranti, accross the street from the Ferrari Factory. Yes, I would like to drink a couple of bottles of wine with him at Lunch, while we discussed his life and legacy. How's that Andy?

Ciao...Paolo

 

Really? If I remeber correctly did Enzo say that a true race car was front engine V12? To me I think Enzo would be proud of the 612. Not mention one of his good freinds the car is named for! IMO!

 

Andy, I portrayed Enzo Ferrari, as a Saint, he was not. He was successful in what he wanted to do in life, and did it with all his soul. Read some of the biographies about him, his racing and his personal life. You will learn some good lessons in life.

Yes, I would also enjoy the 3 of us having Lunch together, at the Cavalino Restauranti.

Ciao...Paulo

 

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Enzo Died in '88

The most recent F-1 title in his life span was 1977.

In the last 8 years Ferrari has won 6/8 years world Championships (drivers)

Overall I'd say he would be proud.

IMUO (in my uneducated opinion) Enzo built customer cars soley to fund his racing team. As such racing and it's results were priority #1.

Given current success on the track, I'd say he'd be plenty proud.

Road cars, wether front/rear/mid/etc engine simply provided the $ to support his race team...as such if the road cars are a success, (no matter the oreintation or style) would therefore provide positive cash flow to run the race team.....= Happy Enzo.

 

No lunch wouldn't be on you, I think we would go Dutch, which means that we would split the cost equally, maybe Enzo would buy? That would be something though.

I don't have any books to recommend, but if you do a google search, there are some good informative films about him, that I have seen, but don't recall the titles. There are people that post here that knew him personally. I believe a fellow who posts as Bertochi, in the Vintage section, was a mechanic, on the Ferrari Race Team, and has posted many pictures, that are a great chronicle of those days. Good Luck, on your discoveries.

Ciao...Paulo

 

IMVHO, based loosely on what I have read and the cars ive seen, I think his road cars take a very bad rap. While its true he built them to fund his racing, it almost always comes off like he didnt care about them. I on the other hand, disagree. When a person doesnt care about something they make, it shows. Ferrari could have put cheaper grade engines in his cars, built more contemporary chassis, mundane bodies, but he never did. Sure, his workmanship may have been lacking here and there on some, but it wasnt for lack of trying as much as it was the lower quality tooling he could afford. He proudly put his name all over his cars, everywhere you looked, his horse emblem, his colors, no one would mistake who built them. I have to believe he was very proud of ALL his machines.

How many of his cars were one offs built for Kings and Queens, princes and princesses. Some of those cars are gorgeous masterpieces. That is not the work of a man who dont care about his handiwork. Its his attitude to customers that probably gives him his cloudy reputation. People who only cared to be seen, didnt care about the car for what it was or represented. Thats the stuff that turned him off. I have a friend who one summer made these facinating and beatiful wooden rolling pins from various pieces of exotic woods, and gave them away as Christmas gifts. A year later he was at one friends and noticed the "pin" he gave them on the counter all split and coming apart, it looked like a piece of garbage. He went over and looked to see what went wrong with his work, and the women told him she ran it through the dishwasher after she used it. She didnt care, to her it was "just a rolling pin". Like Enzo with his cars, my friend took those people off his gift list.

 

I believe he would be proud of the racing achievements.

I believe he would be appalled that Ferrari owns Maserati one his arch rivals. I doubt if he would let people who worked for him even say the word Maserati. He probably would have changed the name to Piero.

 

I know one thing. He would be proud to meet the man he waited his whole life to meet and didn't. Michael Schumacher.

 

I think Zombie Enzo would be appalled at the grandiose merchandising of the brand. And be even more appalled that with all the merch they sell, they don't even have their own brand of red wine produced in a factory vineyard.

 

He would be estatic over the F1 team's success but as far as the rest I dont know.

 

I believe that the quotation was that "a Ferrari is a 12 cylinder car". Don't recall him saying it had to be front-engined, nor that it had to be a race car.

One little piece of Ferrari history that we may be forgetting is that the road cars came very very early in the history of the marque...even at a time when Ferrari team was not above racing Lancia cars out of expediency.

BTW, thirteenYearOld - if you want to understand this great but difficult man more deeply, perhaps a study of Ettore Bugatti (and his cars of the 20s and 30s) would offer a fine contrasting viewpoint.

BTW2, also, 13 - you should probably be ready to change your avator & pseudonym next year! There is something about it which seems sort of self-obsolescent, eh?

 

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That's a great question to ask, and I think Enzo would be extremely proud. Not just because of the racing success, but think about how, with all the exotics and sports cars on the market, Ferrari has always maintained its position as the name. They continue to design gorgeous cars--sure, some are better than others--and I personally think the 360/430 body style will rank among the tops for a long time.

 

Git er done!!!
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