You’ve all seen it, and some of us have worshipped it. But where did Ferrari’s iconic prancing horse stem from? This is the true story behind the most recognised automotive logo of them all
If you piloted European skies during the first World War, a certain logo struck fear through the heart. Donning the side of Count Francesco Baracca’s SPAD XIII fighter plane, sight of a prancing dark stallion brought mortality and death above ground. Should Baracca’s symbol of demise enter the crosshairs, you were going to meet your maker. The horse was lifted from the Baracca's family crest, but it was effectively the grim reaper.
As a legendary professional of Italy’s air force, Baracca proved to be an inspiration to young, hot-blooded Italian men. Depicting his ‘prancing horse’ upon the wings of various aircraft, with its tail pointed downwards as a symbol of courage, Count Francesco claimed no less than 34 victories, sending dozens of aviators to the grave before being shot down himself on June 19, 1918.
Baracca's exploits and untimely demise developed a champion's mantra, eventually declared a national hero his symbol of victory was adopted by many pioneering Italians – including one Enzo Ferrari. Albeit, Enzo added his own touch.
The original ‘prancing horse’ was painted red upon a white background, with subsequent plane-markings draped in back as a mark of respect for fallen pilots. Ferrari adapted this to incorporate a yellow backdrop – the colour of his birthplace; Modena.
Ferrari’s adoption of the horse didn’t stem purely from appreciation, however. His association with the symbol stemmed from well before his days crafting culture’s iconic sports cars. Rather, the fateful pairing first sparked when Enzo was racing for Alfa Romeo on June 17, 1923.
Having clinched several victories, Enzo was introduced to Count Baracca’s parents. Speaking with Franceso’s mother – the Countess Paolina Baracca – she suggested Enzo should adopt her son’s prancing horse symbol. She had already allowed his cars to wear the logo as a means of good luck.
Ferrari obliged and, some nine years later in 1932, the first sighting of Baracca’s badge was glimpsed upon the Alfa Romeos of Enzo’s Scuderia during the Spa Grand Prix. Needless to say, the lucky charm brought a first and second place for Ferrari’s team that day.
Alfa withdrew from racing the following year due to financial difficulties, leaving Enzo and his lucky charm to go it alone. As time wore on and Ferrari scooped no end of victory, leaving Alfa Romeo to start his own team after World War II, the prancing horse gained prominence across the country. The logo even found stance upon the grill of Alfa Romeo's 1935 Bimotore.
Due to contractual obligations, as Alfa had bought up shares in Scuderia Ferrari, Enzo couldn’t use the Ferrari name or the prancing horse on any of his vehicles for a four year period. During this time, Enzo passed the months manufacturing machinery, but the call to motorsport and mechanical development never left his blood.
Ferrari faced no end of problems in trying to get his brand upon the industrial map, hampered when his factory was burnt to the ground courtesy of allied bombing. But his steely determination ensured the Ferrari name was soon to be known globally.
The first model considered a ‘true Ferrari’ with that prancing horse up front was the 1947 Ferrari-built 12-cylinder Tipo 125S. Debuting during the 1948 Italian Grand Prix, the Ferrari logo now featured an upwards tail, slimmer silhouette and trimmed mane.
Enzo spoke only once about the origins of his company logo. “In ‘23, I met count Enrico Baracca, the hero’s father, and then his mother, Countess Paulina, who said to me one day, ‘Ferrari, put my son’s prancing horse on your cars. It will bring you good luck’. The horse was, and still is, black, and I added the canary yellow background which is the colour of Modena [Enzo Ferrari’s birthplace].”
It was on the 125S that the logo’s form changed from a shield, as worn during the Alfa Romeo days, and into a rectangle. The letters ‘S’ and ‘F’ (Scuderia Ferrari) were replaced simply with ‘Ferrari’. The marque had been born, with the resulting saga consigned to some of humanity’s most celebrated events. As they say – the rest is history...
The black horse was originally a symbol of Count Francesco Baracca, a legendary Italian air force ace during World War I; he painted it on the side of every plane he flew.
The logo, which features a prancing black horse on a yellow background, is instantly identifiable. The striking image is usually accompanied by the "SF" monogram, which stands for "Scuderia Ferrari," the name of the stable where racehorses were housed.
Ferrari is an Italian company which has produced sports cars since 1947, but traces its roots back to 1929 when Enzo Ferrari formed the Scuderia Ferrari racing team. In January 2016, Ferrari officially split off from its former parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
One day, Ferrari met the parents of the famed World War One pilot Francesco Baracca who's plane donned a prancing horse on its fuselage. They asked him to put the stallion on his cars for good luck. Enzo obliged and added a yellow backing, a color symbolic of Maranello, to create his emblem.
Ferrari comes from ferraro, meaning “blacksmith,” putting it on par with the English & American surname “Smith.” And much like “Smith,” the Ferrari name is quite common — it's the third most common surname in Italy.
Ferrari is co-owned by Dutch holding company Exor, which is majority-owned by the billionaire Agnelli family, and Piero Ferrari. The Italian entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari died in 1988, having founded the car brand in 1939 after leaving Alfa Romeo.
As underlined in Ferrari Code of Conduct (the “Code”), Ferrari is committed to the highest standards of integrity, honesty and fairness in all internal and external affairs and does not tolerate any kind of bribery.
Scuderia means stable (noun) in the Italian language. It has entered English usage mainly through professional auto racing, in which many Italian teams incorporate the term in their names. "Scuderia" may refer to: Scuderia Ferrari, a current Italian Formula One team.
The primary owner of Ferrari is the investing public, while Piero Ferrari — Enzo's second son — also holds a significant ownership stake, with Exor N.V.rounding out ownership of the company. Exor N.V. is a company controlled by descendants of one of Fiat's original founders, Giovanni Agnelli.
Ford tried to acquire Ferrari, but Ferrari used Ford's deals to push their other deals and managed to get a good deal from FIAT, retaining the racing department. They also insulted Ford II by saying that he is not Henry Ford; he is II.
Ferrari comes from ferraro, meaning “blacksmith,” putting it on par with the English & American surname “Smith.” And much like “Smith,” the Ferrari name is quite common — it's the third most common surname in Italy.
Both the Porsche and Ferrari logo feature a prancing horse, a symbol which originated in the former state of Weimer, Germany. The prancing horse was the coat of arms of Stuttgart (today known as Baden-Württemberg), the capital of Weimar, Germany.
Puma got permission to use Ferrari's prancing horse logo through a licensing agreement. This agreement allows Puma to use the logo in exchange for royalties or other forms of compensation. The terms and conditions of the agreement are confidential and were likely negotiated between the two companies.
The prancing pony first existed on the coat of arms of the former state of Weimar, Germany and its capital, Stuttgart. Today, that region is known as Baden-Württemberg, and it shares a border with France. Both Ferrari and Porsche would end up having independent connections to Stuttgart.
It was Countess Paolina Baracca, Francesco Baracca's mother, who offered a suggestion that would etch the prancing horse emblem into Ferrari's legacy. She proposed that Enzo paint a black horse on his vehicles for good luck, drawing upon the symbolism of Baracca's iconic emblem.
The prancing pony originated as the coat of arms of the former state of Weimar, Germany and its capital, Stuttgart, which is known as Baden-Württemberg today. This is used separately in each logo as each brand has an independent connection to Stuttgart.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Lawanda Wiegand, I am a inquisitive, helpful, glamorous, cheerful, open, clever, innocent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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