The famous prancing stallion is one of the most recognisable logos in the world, and today stands for performance, luxury and racing culture.
The origins come from a far more impressive background, however: that of a World War I fighter pilot. Count Francesco Baracca was Italy’s finest fighter ace, and painted a stallion on the side of his plane to honour his former regiment. Known as ‘The Cavalier of the Skies’ he was one of the highest scoring Allied pilots of the war.
Though he was killed in action, his legacy lived on after a chance encounter between an aspiring race car driver – Enzo Ferrari – and Francesco’s parents in 1923. So the story goes, Francesco’s father suggested Enzo put his son’s prancing horse on his cars for good luck.
Enzo obliged, keeping the horse black but adding the canary yellow background, the colour of his home in Modena. The logo has remained almost unchanged since.