Auto legend: Enzo Ferrari

Posted By WHEELBASE COMMUNICATIONS

His story is a tale of rags-to-riches story mixed with personal tragedy. Born in early 1898 to a middle-class family in Modena, Italy, Enzo Ferrari lost his brother and father in the First World War (1914-'18), Ferrari was drafted into the war in 1916 and served time herding mules in the countryside.

Afterward, he tried to begin his automotive career at Fiat when he was 21. But the Italian car company wasn't interested. Eventually, he would join Alfa Romeo's racing department where he helped the company grow by winning some of the first post-war sporting events. Calm and composed behind the wheel, Ferrari displayed a natural talent while he also tried to lure top talent from other companies. At the same time, Ferrari was also carving out his own niche. Racing under his own banner for Alfa - a prancing horse in front of a yellow background - Ferrari eventually built up enough credibility and success to begin his own race team.

A decade later, he turned it into a full-fledge company. Founded in 1946, before Ferrari had even turned 50, he created an organization that set a new trend for motor racing and car building. His teams won races and his high-performance cars became the envy of every jet-setter on the planet.

In the 1960s, when Italy's economy stumbled, Ferrari eventually sold part of his company to Fiat. In 1969, Fiat helped again, buying up 90 percent of the company with the stipulation that Ferrari would maintain control until his death.

That was more than two decades ago. Today, the flaming-red team is still dominant in racing and is still a key player in the exclusive sports-car market, long past Enzo's reign.