The First Ferrari

The 125 C/125 S

The Ferrari marque started with an innovative race car whose V-12 engine displaced just 1.5-liters

In 1946, the news around Modena, Bologna and Milan — Italy’s hotbeds of racing — was that Enzo Ferrari was building a car with a 12-cylinder engine.

“For years I’ve been dreaming of building a 12-cylinder,” Ferrari said. “Let’s get to work straight away!”

On May 11, 1947, only two months after this new Ferrari first ran, it was raced at Piacenza. A faulty fuel pump retired it. That year, the 12-cylinder Ferraris took part in 10 races.

At the conclusion of the 1947 season, the very first 125 C effectively disappeared. After serving as a test mule, it was converted into a cycle-fendered sports-racer with a two-liter version of the 12.