Otto Explains — Legendary Cars
The Legendary Cars That Defined Ferrari
Short Answer
The cars that defined Ferrari are the ones that changed what the company was. The 125 S of 1947 turned a racing team into a car maker. The Dino brought V6 engines and assembly-line production, and the 308 GTB made the V8 the core of the range. The 400 Automatic and the 355 F1 changed how Ferraris shift gear, the FF added four-wheel drive, LaFerrari and the SF90 Stradale brought hybrid power, the Purosangue added four doors, and the Luce of 2026 is Ferrari’s first electric car.
How did Otto choose these cars?
A car is here only for what it changed at Ferrari: the kind of company it was, the engines it used, how its cars were built or driven, or who bought them. Fame, beauty and rarity alone are not enough; those cars, such as the 250 GTO, the F40 and the Testarossa, appear in Otto’s separate list of ten iconic Ferraris.
How did the 125 S turn a racing team into a car maker?
Until 1947 Scuderia Ferrari raced cars built by Alfa Romeo. The 125 S, designed by Gioachino Colombo around a 1.5-litre V12, was the first car built under the Ferrari name: its engine first ran on 12 March 1947, and on 25 May it won the Rome Grand Prix. That year the team became a manufacturer and ended its partnership with Alfa Romeo. The V12 it introduced powered Ferraris until 1989.
What did the Dino 206 GT change?
The Dino, shown in 1967, was the first car in Ferrari’s history that could be built on an assembly line, and its first road car with a V6, mounted transversely in the middle of the car. The engine came from an agreement with Fiat, which built the Ferrari-designed V6 so that it qualified for Formula 2. The cars carried a Dino badge rather than the Ferrari name, in memory of Enzo Ferrari’s son Dino, who had died in 1956. The partnership grew closer until Fiat bought 50% of Ferrari in 1969.
How did the 308 GTB make the V8 Ferrari’s core car?
Ferrari’s first production V8 arrived in the Dino 308 GT4 of 1973, but it was the 308 GTB of 1975 that made the V8 central to the company. It stayed on sale for ten years with over 6,000 sold, and it and the V8 models derived from it formed the basis of Ferrari production for the following decade. Ferrari says the V8 and its fresh design brought in a new, younger clientele. The mid-engined V8 line continued to the F8 Tributo.
Why did the 400 Automatic matter?
The 400 of 1976 was the first Ferrari offered with an automatic gearbox. Enzo Ferrari called it a GT in evening dress: a comfortable car that moved Ferrari away from its sports-only image. It was the first step towards the automated gearboxes that became standard once Ferrari built its last manual car in 2011.
How did the 355 F1 change the way Ferraris are driven?
In 1989 Ferrari’s Formula 1 car introduced a gearbox shifted with paddles behind the steering wheel, and won its first race. The 355 F1 of 1997 brought the idea to the road: it was Ferrari’s first automated manual gearbox, called F1, and the first road car with paddle shifting. Otto explains how automated manual gearboxes work in SMG transmission explained. Ferrari built its last car with a manual gearbox in 2011.
Why was the FF a turning point?
The FF, Ferrari Four, presented in 2011, was the first four-wheel-drive Ferrari and a full four-seater. Ferrari’s patented 4RM system put a compact unit ahead of the front-mid V12 to drive the front wheels, about 50% lighter than a traditional four-wheel-drive system, so the car kept Ferrari’s engine layout. That idea later reappeared in the Purosangue.
What did LaFerrari introduce?
LaFerrari of 2013 was the first Ferrari with two different types of engine: an 800 hp V12 and a 120 kW electric motor, for 963 hp in total, with the battery recharged under braking. It continued the line of limited supercars that began with the GTO in 1984.
Why did the SF90 Stradale matter?
The SF90 Stradale of 2019 was Ferrari’s first plug-in hybrid: a 780 cv V8 and three electric motors give 1,000 cv, and it can also run on electric power alone. It was also the first Ferrari that could be driven by its front axle alone. It was one of five new models in 2019 that Ferrari presented as ‘different Ferrari for different Ferraristi’. Otto explains plug-in hybrids in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars explained.
What did the Purosangue change?
Unveiled on 13 September 2022, the Purosangue was the first four-door, four-seat Ferrari. Its name is Italian for ‘thoroughbred’. Ferrari chose a different layout from typical crossovers and SUVs: it keeps a naturally aspirated V12 mounted behind the front axle, with the gearbox at the rear and a separate unit driving the front wheels.
Why is the Luce a new chapter?
Ferrari describes the Luce, unveiled in Rome on 25 May 2026, as its first electric car. It has four electric motors, one per wheel, for 1,050 cv, a 122 kWh battery built in Maranello, and four doors with five seats, another first for Ferrari. It was designed with LoveFrom, the collective of Jony Ive and Marc Newson. Ferrari presents it as the result of a strategy in which electric power sits alongside its combustion engines rather than replacing them.
Common Questions
- Was the Dino a real Ferrari? It was designed and built by Ferrari, but the Dino 206 GT and the first Dino V8 wore only a Dino badge. The Dino 308 GT4 took the Ferrari badge from the end of 1976.
- Does Ferrari still sell a manual gearbox? The last conventional manual Ferrari was built in 2011. In 2026 Ferrari revealed the 12Cilindri Manuale, a limited special series with a gear lever and clutch pedal that work by wire.
- Will the Luce replace Ferrari’s petrol cars? Not according to Ferrari. It presents electric power as one option alongside its combustion and hybrid engines, not a replacement for them.
Related Otto explanations
Related Services
More about Ferrari · All Otto Explains topics · Book a Service