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  Ferrari - Reach adulthood



You have to imagine Modena as a medium-sized town in the north of a country that is still clearly agriculturally oriented with few industrial centers. Alienated Catholics with the demand for the reestablishment of the Papal States were opposed to religious leftists who slowly began to form a workers' movement.

The conflict between employers and employees in the 20th century, and especially between the wars, was fought tougher in Italy than in other countries, with almost unconditional exploitation of the one side and riots that during a strike, e.g. the forcible detention of a board member in the factory, did not excluded.

Also in foreign policy acted Italy contradictory. A certain reconciliation with France was followed by bitter conflicts with Austria-Hungary, which resulted in Italy entering the war on the side of the Allies one year after the beginning of the First World War in 1915. The course of the war almost brought defeat to the country. It was not until 1918 that the course decided in favor of Italy.

Nevertheless, the Paris Peace Conference did not go as hoped. Although South Tyrol and some areas along the north coast of the Adriatic were added, they had hoped for significantly more in the further course of this coast. Italy was one of the victorious powers in the First World War, but could only make little capital from it.


Fiat from 1911

We will still hear from the father, although he died during the war, just like Enzo's brother, but both through illness and not in combat. At first, Enzo was too young for the war, and after his father's death, he looked for work in the face of a stagnating company.

But in 1917 he, too, was drafted to the military, was stationed in the mountains fighting the Austrians, and and shoes the hooves of the mules. His fate, too, was determined not by the course of fighting but by illness. He got pleurisy, but at least escaped World War I, unlike millions of others, alive. The disease was with him all his life.

After an imperfect recovery, the search for employment followed. The target was the Fiat company, which had earned well in the war and now had to switch to peace production. But despite a letter of recommendation from an army superior, he had no chance. The rejection hit him hard, especially in the life situation in which he found himself.

Ferrari stayed in Turin, settled here for years, despite refusal from Fiat. There was some revenge later, but at first he tried to cope with his father's supposedly narrow inheritance. Already sociable and somehow with an engaging nature he did the only right thing, he was mainly seen where there was a lot of talk about 'gasoline', apparently also a welcome distraction from what was happening so far. But although the decision to try a career as a racing driver was obviously made and flared again and again over the next ten years, now it was time to start earning money.

After all, it had to do with driving a car. For a company in Bologna, he tested and carried the exploited chassis of light army trucks to Milan, where a body shop gave them a new shell so that they could be sold as a car. In the following, famous people will appear in connection with him not only in Italy.

The first was Marco Garelli, who had been a manufacturer of two-wheelers since 1919. Ugo Sivocci, who switched from two to four-wheelers as a racing driver, played an important role. He was the chief tester at C onstruzioni Meccaniche N azionalia, a car manufacturer that just emerged from the bankruptcy of another company. In 1919 he involved Enzo Ferrari in racing, first as a test driver, then as a racing driver.

That same year, he experienced his first race on a less competitive car. But the young Ferrari made his first practical knowledge. Normal roads were cordoned off, especially dilapidated and dangerous during hill climbs. After all, the car including Ferrari persisted to the end. Antonio Ascari won. But this obviously couldn't be compared to the infamous Targa Florio.

This is where Sivocci and Ferrari ended up after an adventurous journey on their own wheels, they were actually too late for the ferry to Sicily and still managed the start of the race. The more you participate, the better your local knowledge. After all, the route had just been shortened in 1919 from 148 to 108 km. It had to be driven through four times.


Alfa 40/60, 6,1 liters, R4, OHV

After all, Antonio Ascari and the later winner André Boillot were again at the start, as was Giuseppe Campari in an Alfa Romeo 40/60 (picture above), who had won in Parma in 1920. Ferrari had with its mechanic Berretta the misfortune of being held up by a politician's appearance and thus only could make three laps. However, after a protest, they allegedly still reached ninth place in the overall standings and were third in their class.


Fiat S 57/14b, 4,5 liters, R4, 99 kW (135 hp), 145 km/h

Ferrari left the company CMN, which by the way only existed until 1923. New year, new luck in the same mountain race near Parma. For the first time in at least partially own Isotta Fraschini from 1912, 6.2 liters, 61 kw (83 hp) at 1800 rpm, also already with four-wheel brakes like the two above, and with a new mechanic. He was third overall and second in his class behind Campari and became friends with him. Incidentally, Giuseppe Campari was also an opera singer. However, there were no further successes with the new old car.








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