Currently in Italian cinemas, the film “Ferrari” explores events in Enzo Ferrari’s life during the specific year of 1957. In a recently released video interview on Ferrari’s official YouTube channel, Piero Ferrari, Enzo’s son and the current vice president of the Italian company, analyzed scenes from the movie in comparison to the actual events. Here are his words:
Piero Ferrari opens the video by stating, “1957 was a year with many events. It is remembered for the last Mille Miglia, which ended in a tragic accident, the death of Deportago, his navigator, and nine spectators, including some children. It was a serious sports tragedy. In that same year, it became known that my father had two families – one with his wife Laura and son Dino, who passed away the previous year, and the second with me and my wife Lina.”
Regarding the meeting between Enzo Ferrari and Spanish driver Deportago, the vice president of the Italian team revealed, “It didn’t happen as portrayed in the film because it occurred the year before, and Deportago had already started working with Ferrari. He was a unique character, a Spanish nobleman leading a free life who raced purely out of passion. I remember that winter; my father was worried because of the Olympics in Cortina, and Deportago had gone to compete in bobsledding with the Spanish team, saying, ‘If he gets injured, he won’t race for us anymore.'”
In the film, a young Piero Ferrari persistently asks his father for the Spanish driver’s autograph. Regarding this, he stated, “No, that’s a poetic license in the film because autographs weren’t requested at that time. I didn’t collect them, and if I recall correctly, neither did my friends or peers. It’s a nice touch, though, as there was passion and attention towards the drivers, even though I don’t recall signature collections being a thing.”
Talking about his father’s hunger for victories, Piero added, “It wasn’t like that. He wanted to win; victory was the goal of his challenges, but not at any cost and especially not by risking the lives of the drivers. I remember a few times, fortunately, after significant accidents like the Mille Miglia or Bandini’s, he would come home in the evening and say, ‘Enough, we can’t continue like this! We have to stop!’ Then on Monday, he would go to the office, look at his workers and technicians and say, ‘What do we do now? We have to move forward and ensure these incidents don’t happen.’ So, he gathered courage and continued.”
The film depicts various scenes at the Modena aerodrome, where Ferrari conducted tests. Piero also shared his memories, saying, “Modena aerodrome was a beautiful place. I remember it from my childhood; I didn’t even have a scooter yet and would go there on my bicycle because it was the meeting point for all motor enthusiasts. Four wheels, two wheels, there was the aeroclub, and small planes would land. Something happened every hour, and we kids always went there. Unfortunately, the aerodrome is no more; it has become a park in the city center dedicated to Enzo Ferrari, but the engines are silent.”
“My father spent a lot of time at the company. He dedicated everything to cars, engines, details, and technicians. I remember that every May, he would ask which engine to bring to Monza. He intervened in the projects, but he intervened on the objectives and not the details. On that, the responsibility was with the engineers, and he was very strict on this matter. Every designer had to take their own responsibilities.”
Speaking about the trust that the Commendatore placed in those close to him, Piero Ferrari stated, “It’s true; he gave trust and said, ‘Trust is not given in installments. You either give it or you don’t.’ He had some people he trusted a hundred percent, while others, I wouldn’t say he doubted, but he let the leaders check and take their own responsibilities.”
The current vice president of Ferrari concluded by talking about significant personalities who decided to buy a Ferrari over the years: “One notable example is Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, the husband of the Queen of the Netherlands. He was a Ferrari customer, coming every two or three years, bringing his car, and getting a new one. He often came to lunch at my house; he was truly a nice person and a friend of my dad. Others were the same. Roberto Rossellini always came with Ingrid Bergman, and they were truly a special couple. Their car is also famous; I recently saw it among the Ferrari Classics, with which they traveled from Rome to Stockholm with luggage on the roof rack.”
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