On 12 March 1947, Enzo Ferrari fired up the 125 S, the first car to bear his name. That test drive on the streets of Maranello marked the start of modern Ferrari history. The then-modest factory quickly grew into one of the great internationally renowned “Made in Italy” icons.
On 12 March 2017, exactly 70 years later, Ferrari launched its official celebrations for this milestone anniversary.
To coincide with the official start of the celebrations and to commemorate the events of 70 years ago, Ferrari released a special video (above) featuring a re-enactment of the first 12-cylinder to sport the Cavallino Rampante on its bonnet, the 125 S, driving through the factory gates on Via Abetone Inferiore and, in doing so, symbolically passing the baton of the Ferrari legacy to the LaFerrari Aperta.
This was the first car to sport the Ferrari badge. Its 12-cylinder engine, vital to powerful performance, was designed by Gioacchino Colombo, with Giuseppe Busso and Luigi Bazzi also contributing to the project. On 12 March 1947, the 125 S, still an unbodied steel rolling chassis, roared to life for the first time and the great Ferrari adventure began.
Technological excellence, performance, style, exclusivity – Ferrari’s unique core values are brilliantly represented by the car launched to mark the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the company. The LaFerrari Aperta is the new limited-edition special series model dedicated to the automaker’s most loyal clients and it’s also the spider version of the acclaimed LaFerrari supercar.
Maranello’s latest supercar effortlessly combines extraordinary performance with the unique exhilaration of open-top driving. It is equipped with the same hybrid power unit as the coupé – an 800bhp 6262cc V12 engine with a specific power output of 128bhp per litre and a compression ratio of 13.5:1, coupled with a 120kW electric motor for a total power output of a 963bhp.
In the course of 2017, over 60 nations will host events crafted to treat clients and enthusiasts of the marque to a string of unique experiences as part of the “Driven by Emotion” concept, one of the cornerstones on which the Ferrari story was founded and has flourished. Singapore will see a 70-Ferrari parade in August.
“Driven by Emotion” is a tribute to the importance placed by the Cavallino Rampante on motoring emotion throughout the last 70 years – be it in terms of the most riveting and rewarding driving experience possible, Ferrari’s universally lauded and acknowledged styling, or innovation via the astonishing pioneering technological solutions revealed by each new Maranello model.
The anniversary celebrations culminate in Maranello on the weekend of September 9 and 10, but will also be flanked by other initiatives paying homage to Cavallino Rampante history, not least special exhibitions and the first “Cavalcade Classiche”.
A special website has been created to flank the celebrations as they unfold throughout the year, as well as to introduce the pivotal moments and individuals in the company’s history. 
Read about a Singaporean’s experience driving a Ferrari F12 in Ferrari’s home town of Maranello.
