We sat down with Enzo Ferrari’s great-grandson to speak all issues Ferrari.
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari is just not solely the great-grandson of the legendary Enzo Ferrari and grandson of Piero Ferrari, however he’s additionally an entrepreneur with a powerful dedication to enhancing Italian heritage, a passionate automotive fanatic, and an knowledgeable within the classic automotive business. On this unique interview, we ask him about a variety of Ferrari-centric matters.
dR: Enzo, as a direct descendant of Ferrari’s founding father, what does it imply to hold on his identify fairly actually?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: I’ll share a narrative with you. It was 1988, and my mother was pregnant with me, and he or she shared the concept of calling me Enzo together with her grandfather. And so they have been anticipating this actually emotional second, as you’ll be able to think about, as he was greater than 90 years previous at this level. And he replied: ‘Sure, that’s a great identify, very simple to recollect and brief.’ That’s it! That’s completely how he was!
dR: A person of motion however not so many phrases. What do you assume actually units Ferrari other than all the opposite manufacturers on the market?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: For positive, it’s the authenticity. The truth that Enzo began Scuderia Ferrari in 1929, and later he began promoting street automobiles as a result of he wanted the cash to fund the crew. He needed to race. There’s the shaggy dog story from 1956, when he misplaced the 24 Hours of Le Mans to Jaguar, and he was requested what’s gonna occur subsequent 12 months? And he mentioned, ‘Jaguar is racing to promote automobiles. I’m promoting automobiles to race. I’ll be again on high.’ There was the well-known encounter between Enzo and Gianni Agnelli, whereby L’Avvocato [Fiat boss Agnelli’s nickname was ‘The Lawyer’] mentioned ‘You understand how to win?’ and Enzo’s reply was ‘I’m skilled to win’. It’s like giving all of your self to one thing. And that’s the important thing, that’s the authenticity. Then he began constructing automobiles and the remaining is historical past. Now it’s price greater than some other OEM, even ones who tried to purchase it, like Ford, which is unbelievable.
dR: And on the racing facet, Ferrari nonetheless does a variety of successful whether or not it’s Method 1, and naturally successful the Le Mans 24 Hours two instances working…
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: The style of these Le Mans victories was unbelievable, like actually unbelievable. To win the one hundredth anniversary race at Le Mans after which get back-to-back wins. And in Method 1, Ferrari has been there for the reason that starting of the World Championship. Method 1 is Ferrari, one way or the other. Final 12 months, it was combating again to the highest and our object is to at all times be there to battle for the win, each single 12 months.
dR: Ferrari is synonymous with luxurious and efficiency, how do you see the model evolving because the years go by?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: Retaining the authenticity, holding the racing, sustaining the heritage. Just remember to’re in a position to share with the brand new era about the place we come from. And make nice merchandise. With out the merchandise, you’re promoting nothing. That’s the actual key.
dR: Lately you’ve taken up the function of President of Cavallino, via your function as CEO of Ferrari Household Investments, inform us why…
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: Personally talking, I’m a automotive fanatic. I used to be rising up with Ferrari, however I at all times liked automobiles, whatever the model. I’m no collector, however I race some occasions with classic automobiles. In fact, because the President of Cavallino I’m going to all of the occasions plus many others. In case you ask me, ‘Was your loved ones pushing you to have that sort of ardour for automobiles?’ Actually talking, no, I’ve real ardour for automobiles. Enzo mentioned that automobiles are the final word freedom, they provide the freedom to go wherever you need, and to lift your self to push the boundaries, and you consider the know-how round automobiles prior to now hundred or so years, it’s unbelievable the place it’s proper now, when it comes to security and when it comes to efficiency.
dR: Cavallino hosts some wonderful Ferrari occasions world wide, are you able to clarify extra about that?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: I keep in mind once I was first going to Palm Seashore in Florida as a child with my grandfather at Cavallino Basic. This 12 months was the thirty fourth version of Cavallino in Palm Seashore. I additionally love the Cavallino journal, I might at all times learn it and I like the occasion. I believe there’s a possible in rising the occasion one way or the other, in attracting additionally a brand new era, and with the ability to groom the present collectors, and with the ability to increase the Cavallino occasion in different nations, comparable to we’re doing this now in Abu Dhabi, in Modena in Italy, with out diluting it, so that you received’t see a Cavallino per 30 days. I believe that it wants that shortage of the occasions.
dR: Inform us at the moment about Ferrari Household Investments, and what it means to be a Trustee of the Piero Ferrari Belief?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: So, two various things. With the Belief, we constructed that in an effort to obtain continuity all through many years, and possibly centuries, and be capable of management our shares of Ferrari. My grandfather owns the ten% since 1969, not lots of people know that, and the concept is to have a perpetuity of the shares within the household for the longer term, that’s the entire concept. When it comes to the Ferrari Household Investments, the concept is to have a diversification, so not simply on the automotive facet but in addition in different areas of investments.
dR: What do you assume Enzo Ferrari would have made from the automotive world at the moment?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: Fascinating query. To assume that Ford is now truly price half of what Ferrari is price, I believe Enzo would have mentioned ‘You’re loopy!’ He would have been on the sting, searching for new applied sciences, making automobiles much more enjoyable to drive, growing the efficiency, growing the protection. He would have liked that stability of security and with the ability to actually benefit from the automobiles, as a result of proper now they go actually quick! In case you take like a 296 Problem automotive, for instance, it’s a loopy quick automotive! He would have liked that one, for positive.
dR: With regards to your nice grandfather, do you could have a favourite reminiscence or story that you just’d wish to share?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: I used to be born in February 1988, and he handed away in August 1988, and there’s just one image of myself on his lap. Though we didn’t actually have an opportunity to know one another very nicely, I’ve been extensively studying his biographies, so I sort of can say that I do know Enzo Ferrari, particularly via tales and the phrases of my grandfather [Piero Ferrari]. That’s the important thing to understanding this character, additionally as a human being when he was at residence, let’s say he was very distinctive, I’ve to inform you that.
dR: This 12 months it’s DuPont Registry’s fortieth anniversary, what message would you wish to share with our readers?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: Effectively, congratulations on the primary 40 years, I in fact hope there may be gonna be greater than 40 years to come back. Luxurious automobiles is simply a tremendous world, and all of the readers they’re so captivated with that, they should move this ardour on to the era to come back for positive. That’s the mission for all automotive fans, it’s additionally true for readers of Cavallino in addition to duPont REGISTRY journal.
This text appeared in our June 2025 Problem.
Introducing the June 2025 difficulty of duPont REGISTRY, #481, starring the brand new Rolls-Royce Spectre Black Badge. To get your palms on a replica, both purchase a single difficulty or subscribe.
