The Ferrari logo is known worldwide. The prancing horse with yellow details is the symbol of speed, elegance, and Italian technology. But why are there two horses? And what about the color scheme? What does it represent?
The Ferrari logo was created in 1940 by a draftsman named Aldo Crespi when Enzo Ferrari wanted to have a personal emblem for his race team. Founder of Scuderia, whose purpose was to train young drivers, needed an official symbol that could be used on letterheads and other documents sent to clients who were part of Alfa Romeo’s racing division.
Crespi chose a black badge with a yellow background in order to pay tribute to the city of Modena where Enzo lived. The prancing horse was taken from the emblem of Modena’s family Bolognini.
The next year, Enzo signed a contract with the German forces and participated in the manufacture of vehicles for Fascist Italy. After this episode, Gazzetta Dello Sport, an Italian newspaper that supported motor racing since its inception, suggested that the Ferrari team should be suspended because it worked with the enemy. Thus, right after World War II broke out and everything changed.
Currently, and precisely since 1947, the colors plates were replaced by plates in yellow color representing sun rays while red symbolizes passion and excellence.
In addition to this information, we can add that Ferrari cars are represented by two stallions: one black (for road vehicles) and one white (for racing vehicles).
Therefore, we can say that the two horses represent speed and technology.
The story about the origin of the Ferrari logo does not end here, though. In fact, there are several versions of its real creator. According to some sources, the original emblem was designed by Miuccia Prada during her studies at Berghs School in Stockholm. She would have been inspired by a sculpture she saw when walking through the city with her friend Patrizio Bertelli who later became her husband and CEO of Prada Group.
Others say that logo was originally designed in 1920 by a man called Ugo Stella, a friend of Enzo’s father. The symbol was made of an inverted yellow triangle on a red background. It had the initials SF as well as three “racing horses”.
It is also said that during World War II, Ferraris company changed its logo to black because of the severe bombing they were facing. This version can be considered false since there are no traces left from the original emblem.
Today, this sports car manufacturer has more than 860 dealerships and offices all around the world so you will not have problems finding your nearest dealer if you ever want one! Also, each new model gets presented during an exclusive event so if you are planning on purchasing one of these cars, there is no better place to visit than the headquarters in Maranello.
What do s and f in a Ferrari symbol mean?
Many people wonder what the letters SF in the emblem represent. If you thought that it stands for Scuderia Ferrari or Società Fiat then you are wrong. Well, it actually means Sergio, referring to Sergio Pininfarina, who was an Italian car designer and constructor.
Sergio joined his father Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina’s coachbuilding firm Carrozzeria Pininfarina in 1930 . The company began making bodies for Alfa Romeo cars at that time and continued doing so until 1939 when they started focusing on designing new cars instead of changing old ones. They worked exclusively with Ferrari since 1950, creating several models like Daytona (1967), Dino (1968), or Berlinetta Boxer (1973).
Over the years, Pininfarina put his signature on several Ferrari models including the 250 GT, 275, Daytona, and recently California.
To avoid any confusion with Sergio Pininfarina since he has the same initials, they decided to change them for SF which now represents Scuderia Ferrari.
This emblem was specifically designed for racing cars so it does not appear on-road ones. Instead, you will find only a black prancing horse. The most common colors are yellow and red but there are also some rarer versions like silver or green.
Why doesn’t Ferrari restyle its logo? Isn’t it outdated?
Ferrari is the only brand that has always had the same logo for its whole history. There are no other car manufacturers that can say the same. It means that this emblem represents the company on an international level and it does not need to be modified since it already fits perfectly.
Designer Fabio Taglioni comments about this concept: ” I do not think there was ever a discussion of changing our logo or using another one because it’s very well known, especially after using it in Formula 1 racing for 50 years. But we did look at some possibilities to update it, so while keeping its traditional shape, we looked at ways to modernize all of its elements.”
Taglioni added “I think the important thing is that it should be recognized by people all over the world, and even if you change it slightly, you lose that recognizability. It’s like with human beings—if you change someone’s face too much, he might still be recognizable but it won’t be the same person.”
Every model that comes out of Maranello gets a slight variation of this emblem on its hood. Therefore, the symbol itself will not change but its colors are subject to modifications.
Why does Ferrari use a horse as their emblem?
The horse has always been linked to the history of Ferrari. One of its founders, Enzo, was particularly fond of horses and decided that they would be best depicted in their logo.
During the 1950s, he ordered this emblem to be painted on his cars since at that time F1 racing counted for little more than a prestigious event with no real money involved. Nowadays it is used as an indicator showing where your car comes from, how fast it goes, and what kind of engine powers it.
