The life of Enzo Ferrari (1898-1988), the creator of the legendary car brand, despite its great success, was not a path full of roses. The death of his beloved son Dino at the age of 24 shook the creator and led to the breakdown of his marriage.
Enzo Ferrari was born in 1898 and quickly had to become head of the family because his father and older brother died during a flu epidemic. At the age of 10, he applauded Felice Nazzaro’s win at Bologna. At that moment he decided to become a racing driver, but the road to it was long and led through the fields of World War I. The jumping black horse, as a symbol of luck, was used by the Italian ace of the skies Francesco Baracca. It was him who gave young Enzo a necklace with the image of a horse; he himself had such a symbol painted on his plane. Unfortunately, soon after, Baracca was killed, shot down by an Austrian plane. In the same year (1918), Enzo Ferrari himself fell ill with the flu and was sent home when he was 20 years old.
Then, everything went quickly. Ferrari worked in Turin for Fiat, then worked with Alfa Romeo and was a racing driver. When Dino was born in 1932, Enzo promised his wife that he would stop with dangerous racing. In 1947 he sold the family home and opened a factory. The company was spinning fast and very successful. Ferrari devoted himself only to the factory and his beloved son.
Dino (Alfredino) took over the name from his grandfather. He graduated from good schools in Bologna and was then sent to Switzerland, where he studied mechanical engineering, promising to be a very talented engineer. With time, however, Dino’s disease made itself felt more and more strongly. He was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a disease involving muscle degeneration. A few days before his death, Dino discussed the technical details of the engine with the engineer. He never saw his work, he died at the age of 24. This event shook Enzo and his wife and consequently led to the breakup of the relationship. Ferrari senior for the rest of his life was seen with dark glasses, and in honor of Dino named a series of racing cars that used the V6 engine designed by him.
90-year-old Enzo, leaving this world, was very much hoping to meet John Paul II. The opportunity was excellent for this, because the Pope was visiting the Diocese of Modeno and took advantage of the invitation to Maranello – the town of Ferrari. Unfortunately, Enzo was no longer able to get out of bed. However, fortunately, they were able to talk on the phone.
His relations with the Church throughout his life resembled a sinusoid. Relatives mention that he belonged to people seeking God, but there were many contradictions in him. During the war, he sympathized with Mussolini, but saved a Jewish friend. For many years, creating the power of Ferrari, he struggled with the criticism of Catholic circles. Tired of fighting for his good name for so many years, Enzo definitely got closer to God when in 1981 John Paul II was assassinated. As Ferrari’s relatives’ recall, when the Pope was fighting for his life, the agnostic, who did not go to church, began to cry and pray. During the memorable visit of John Paul II to Maranello, Piero (Ferrari’s second son) drove the Polish Pope in a red superbrand convertible on the racetrack located near the factory.
Compiled by C.N. based on a text by Marcin Stus – Onet.pl
