1947
After World War Two, it took Ferrari nearly two years to build its first car amid shortages of electricity, fuel and manpower.
“It took Ferrari nearly two years to build the first car. In post-war Europe, electricity was a luxury.”
Topic
Ferrari
26 facts from 4 episodes, in date order. These are what speakers said on the shows, each linked to the moment it was said. They aren't independently verified.
1948
Ferrari sold its first car to a customer in 1948 after introducing the 166 Barchetta at the Turin Motor Show.
“he did not sell a single car to a customer until 1948. When they introduced the Ferrari 166 Barchetta at the Turin Motor Show.”
1950s
Porfirio Rubirosa, a prolific Ferrari buyer of the 1950s, died at fifty-six after crashing his Ferrari into a tree.
“Ruby Rosa died after wrapping his Ferrari around a tree, having spent the evening celebrating a polo victory. He was fifty six years old.”
1951
In 1951 a Ferrari car beat an Alfa Romeo for the first time in a major race.
“In 1951, a Ferrari first beat an Alfa Romeo in a major race.”
1963
In 1963 Ford negotiated the price to buy Ferrari from an original $18 million down to $10 million before Enzo Ferrari blew up the deal.
“The asking price was originally $18 million, but somehow Ford manages to easily negotiate it down to $10 million.”
1966
A 1966 New Yorker profile reported that Ferrari's factory employed about 600 workers and built about 750 cars a year.
“The factory employs about 600 highly qualified workers and turns out about 750 cars a year.”
1966
In the mid-1960s Ferrari did not design or build its own car bodies; they were stamped and welded in Turin and shipped to the factory.
“The bodies are not designed but stamped and welded in Turin and then shipped to Ferrari.”
1966
According to the 1966 profile, each Ferrari crankshaft was hand-sculpted from solid steel and took eighty-six hours of skilled work.
“Crankshafts are sculpted by hand from solid steel, each one requiring eighty six hours of work by a highly skilled craftsman.”
1966
The 1966 profile contrasted Ferrari's small output with Fiat's production of about 4,000 cars a day.
“When one compares this output and the care that goes into it with the 4,000 cars a day turned out by Fiat”
1969
In 1969, when Enzo Ferrari was seventy-one, Fiat bought 50% of Ferrari.
“in 1969, when Enzo was seventy one, Fiat buys 50% of Ferrari.”
1969
In 1969 Enzo Ferrari sold 50% of Ferrari to Fiat for a little under $3.5 million, valuing the company at about $6.8 million, according to the hosts' exchange-rate calculation.
“they ended up selling half the company for a little under $3.5 million, valuing all of Ferrari at $6.8 million.”
1988
The remaining 40% of Ferrari was acquired by Fiat in 1988 for about $77 million, valuing the company at about $192 million.
“it is $77 million, which valued the company at $192 million in 1988.”
1993
Luca di Montezemolo cut Ferrari's annual production from about 4,500 cars in 1991 to 2,300 by 1993.
“By 1993, just two years later, Luca brought this down to 2,300.”
1997
The Ferrari 355 was the workhorse of the Montezemolo-era turnaround and accounted for 70% of Ferrari sales by 1997.
“It was really the workhorse of the turnaround. And by 1997, it accounted for 70% of sales.”
2015
As part of the Ferrari spinoff, about $3.2 billion of Fiat Chrysler debt was effectively transferred to Ferrari.
“they effectively transfer another $3.2 billion in Fiat Chrysler debt to Ferrari.”
2015
Ferrari went public in 2015 at about a $10 billion market value, up from the roughly $192 million valuation implied in 1988.
“So 2015, Ferrari publicly traded worth $10 billion. That is up from the $192 million figure that we had talked about back in 1988.”
2021
Benedetto Vigna, an outsider from the semiconductor industry, became Ferrari's CEO in 2021.
“culminating in 2021 when the current CEO of Ferrari, Benedetto Vigna, is hired.”
2025
Ferrari reported about $8.2 billion in revenue and $3.2 billion in EBITDA in 2025, according to the hosts.
“They did $8.2 billion in revenue in 2025. In terms of profits, they did $3.2 billion in EBITDA.”
2025
At its October 2025 investor day, Ferrari management said the era of double-digit revenue growth was over and projected about 5% annual growth.
“Management said in their October 2025 investor day that the era of double digit revenue growth is over.”
Undated
Petecchi cites a Ferrari at 300 kilometers per hour as an example of the demands placed on a tire.
“if you consider that a tire has to support a car, and I don't know a Ferrari for 300 kilometers per hour of speed and temperature”
Undated
In one story the host tells, Ferrari told an American client to wait months for a car while unsold Ferraris sat hidden in the factory parking lot.
“the factory had a parking lot that was filled with unsold Ferraris that the client cannot see.”
Undated
Colin Chapman moved the engine behind the driver in the chassis for better balance, following aerospace practice to save weight, which helped British teams overtake Ferrari.
“And one of the innovations that Chapman did was he relocated the engine to the rear of the chassis for better balance, following more modern aerospace construction practice to save weight.”
Undated
Enzo Ferrari's son Piero, born outside his marriage, was given 10% of Ferrari, which the host says he still owns.
“That son was given 10% of Ferrari, which, if I'm not mistaken, he still owns to this day”
Undated
Eran Yahav compares an AI agent to a Ferrari that burns fuel driving in circles without a map.
“the agent itself is like this very powerful car. It's like a Ferrari, it can go really, really fast, but if it doesn't have a map”
Undated
Ferrari capped sales of its Purosangue four-door utility vehicle at 20% of total production to protect the brand.
“The really disciplined thing that they did, though, they capped total production at 20%.”
Undated
About 330,000 Ferraris have been built in total, and almost 300,000 of them are still drivable.
“There have been 330,000 Ferraris ever made and almost 300,000 of them are drivable.”
Episodes