The registry
Ferrari Registry: Models, Builds & Photos
Ferrari has built road cars in Maranello, Italy since 1947, when Enzo Ferrari's 125 S first ran with a 1.5 liter Colombo V12. Fiat bought 50 percent of the company in 1969, and Ferrari listed on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2015 as its own public company. Road car production began as a way to fund the racing team Enzo had run since 1929, and that racing-first priority shaped every car the factory built for decades.
Pick your model
From race shop to road cars
Enzo Ferrari started Scuderia Ferrari in Modena in 1929, fielding cars, mostly Alfa Romeos, for paying amateur drivers. When Alfa Romeo pulled its factory racing effort in 1933, the Scuderia became the marque's de facto works team. The first car wearing Enzo's own name, the 125 S of 1947, used a 1,497 cc Colombo V12, and V12 power defined the front-engined 250, 275, and 365 series that carried the company through the 1950s and 1960s. Road car production existed mostly to fund racing, which is why early build quality and documentation vary so much car to car. Fiat took a 50 percent stake in 1969, Enzo died in August 1988, and Ferrari N.V. listed on the NYSE in October 2015 under the ticker RACE. The factory has been in Maranello since 1943.
Testarossa, 512 TR, and F512 M (1984-1996)
The Testarossa ran a 4.9 liter flat-12 mounted behind the driver, with the radiators moved to the sides, which is what the strakes in the doors feed. The name revived the "red head" cam covers of the 1957 250 Testa Rossa race car. Ferrari built the original Testarossa from 1984 to 1991, re-engineered it into the 512 TR for 1992, then closed the line with the F512 M, introduced in 1994 and built through 1996. Engine-out service for major maintenance is the ownership fact that matters most; budget for it every belt interval.
F40 (1987-1992)
Built to mark the company's 40th anniversary and the last Ferrari Enzo personally approved, the F40 pairs a 2.9 liter twin-turbo V8 (471 hp, 478 PS, in European trim) with a kevlar and carbon composite body over a tube frame. No ABS, no power steering, sliding plexiglass windows on early cars. Ferrari planned 400 and ended up building 1,311 by the time production stopped in 1992.
F355 (1994-1999)
The F355 replaced the 348 with a 3.5 liter V8 using five valves per cylinder, hence the name, revving to 8,500 rpm. In 1997 it introduced the F1 paddle-shift gearbox to a Ferrari road car. Cam belts can be changed with the engine in the car, but most specialists pull the engine to do the job properly, so price the work that way. Valve guide wear on early engines is a known checkpoint before purchase.
Enzo (2002-2004)
The Enzo Ferrari carried a 6.0 liter V12 rated at 651 hp, a carbon fiber tub, and active aerodynamics instead of a fixed wing. Ferrari built 399 for sale, then a 400th car presented to Pope John Paul II in 2005 and auctioned at his request for tsunami relief. Its F140 V12 architecture still underpins current twelve-cylinder Ferraris.
Asked all the time
When did Ferrari start building road cars?
Ferrari's first car under its own name was the 125 S of 1947, powered by a 1.5 liter Colombo V12. Enzo Ferrari had run Scuderia Ferrari as a race team since 1929, and early Ferrari road cars existed mainly to fund the racing program.
What distinguishes the main eras of Ferrari?
Rough markers: front-engined V12 era through the 1960s (250, 275, 365 series), the Fiat era after the 1969 stake sale bringing mid-engined V8s (308 through F355), the flat-12 Testarossa line (1984-1996), and the post-Enzo era after his death in 1988, capped by halo cars like the F40 (1987-1992) and the Enzo (2002-2004). Ferrari went public in 2015.
Why is Ferrari maintenance so expensive on older models?
On models like the Testarossa and F355, the accepted practice is to pull the engine for cam belt service, so a routine belt job runs thousands in labor alone. Parts availability is decent through Ferrari Classiche and specialists, but prices reflect low production volumes.
How many Ferrari F40s and Enzos were built?
Ferrari built 1,311 F40s between 1987 and 1992, well past the planned 400. The Enzo was capped at 399 production cars from 2002 to 2004, with a 400th example presented to Pope John Paul II in 2005 and auctioned for charity at his request.
Does Ferrari certify old cars as authentic?
Yes. Ferrari Classiche, the factory's in-house department since 2006, inspects and certifies cars for matching numbers and original specification. A Classiche certification (the "Red Book") materially affects value on any collectible Ferrari, so ask for it when buying.
The wall
The most-documented Ferrari vehicles in the registry, every photo by the owner.
