Ferrari celebrates 70th anniversary

It’s 70 years since Enzo Ferrari fired up the 125 S – the first car to bear his name.

That test-drive through the streets of Maranello marked the start of a journey which has taken Ferrari to iconic status globally.

The anniversary celebrations culminate in Maranello on the weekend of September 9 and 10. Meanwhile, a special website has been created to help fans keep track of the events.

Highlights from Ferrari’s history

1947 – Ferrari is founded
1950 – Ferrari makes F1 debut
1958 – Mike Hawthorn becomes F1 World Champion in a Ferrari 246 F1
1962 – Unveiling of the 250 GTO, winner of the International Championship for GT Manufacturers in 1962, 1963 and 1964
1964 – John Surtees becomes Formula 1 World Champion with the 158 F1
1967 – Three Ferraris – two 330 P4s and a 412 P –deliver a spectacular 1-2-3 parade finish in the 24 Hours of Daytona
1968 – The 365 GTB4 (Daytona) is unveiled at the Paris Motor Show
1969 – Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder
1972 – The Fiorano Circuit, Ferrari’s test track, is officially opened
1975 – Niki Lauda takes the Formula 1 World Champion title in the 312 T
1981 – Gilles Villeneuve delivers first ever victory in a turbocharged F1 car in the 126 K at Monaco
1984 – The Ferrari Testarossa is unveiled at the Paris Motor Show
1987 – The F40 debuts at the Frankfurt Motor Show
1988 – 14 August: Enzo Ferrari passes away at the age of 90
1993 – The marque’s first single-make championship, the Ferrari Challenge, is launched
1998 – The new Renzo Piano-designed GES Wind Tunnel opens
2004 – Ferrari sets a new F1 record of 6 Constructors’ and 5 Drivers’ World titles in a row
2006 – The exclusive XX programme, designed to deliver extreme performance to top clients, debuts
2007 – Kimi Räikkönen and the Scuderia Ferrari are World Champions
2013 – The Cavallino Rampante’s first hybrid model, the LaFerrari, goes into production
2015 – Ferrari is listed on the New York stock exchange
2016 – The LaFerrari Aperta, an iconic model celebrating the marque’s 70th anniversary, is launched at the Paris Motor Show
2017 – The latest addition to the Ferrari family, the 812 Superfast, debuts at the Geneva Motor Show