We sat down with Enzo Ferrari’s great-grandson to speak all issues Ferrari.
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari shouldn’t be solely the great-grandson of the legendary Enzo Ferrari and grandson of Piero Ferrari, however he’s additionally an entrepreneur with a powerful dedication to enhancing Italian heritage, a passionate automobile fanatic, and an knowledgeable within the classic automotive business. On this unique interview, we ask him about a variety of Ferrari-centric subjects.
dR: Enzo, as a direct descendant of Ferrari’s founding father, what does it imply to hold on his identify fairly actually?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: I’ll share a narrative with you. It was 1988, and my mother was pregnant with me, and she or he shared the thought of calling me Enzo together with her grandfather. And so they had been anticipating this actually emotional second, as you possibly can think about, as he was greater than 90 years previous at this level. And he replied: ‘Sure, that’s a great identify, very straightforward to recollect and brief.’ That’s it! That’s completely how he was!
dR: A person of motion however not so many phrases. What do you suppose really units Ferrari aside from all the opposite manufacturers on the market?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: For positive, it’s the authenticity. The truth that Enzo began Scuderia Ferrari in 1929, and later he began promoting highway vehicles as a result of he wanted the cash to fund the staff. He wished to race. There’s the joke from 1956, when he misplaced the 24 Hours of Le Mans to Jaguar, and he was requested what’s gonna occur subsequent yr? And he stated, ‘Jaguar is racing to promote vehicles. I’m promoting vehicles to race. I’ll be again on high.’ There was the well-known encounter between Enzo and Gianni Agnelli, whereby L’Avvocato [Fiat boss Agnelli’s nickname was ‘The Lawyer’] stated ‘You understand how to win?’ and Enzo’s reply was ‘I’m educated to win’. It’s like giving all of your self to one thing. And that’s the important thing, that’s the authenticity. Then he began constructing vehicles and the remainder is historical past. Now it’s price greater than every other OEM, even ones who tried to purchase it, like Ford, which is unbelievable.
dR: And on the racing facet, Ferrari nonetheless does quite a lot of successful whether or not it’s System 1, and naturally successful the Le Mans 24 Hours two instances operating…
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: The style of these Le Mans victories was unbelievable, like actually unbelievable. To win the a hundredth anniversary race at Le Mans after which get back-to-back wins. And in System 1, Ferrari has been there because the starting of the World Championship. System 1 is Ferrari, by some means. Final yr, it was preventing again to the highest and our object is to all the time be there to combat for the win, each single yr.
dR: Ferrari is synonymous with luxurious and efficiency, how do you see the model evolving because the years go by?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: Conserving the authenticity, conserving the racing, sustaining the heritage. Just remember to’re capable of share with the brand new era about the place we come from. And make nice merchandise. With out the merchandise, you’re promoting nothing. That’s the true key.
dR: Lately you’ve taken up the function of President of Cavallino, by means of your function as CEO of Ferrari Household Investments, inform us why…
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: Personally talking, I’m a automobile fanatic. I used to be rising up with Ferrari, however I all the time liked vehicles, whatever the model. I’m no collector, however I race some occasions with classic vehicles. In fact, because the President of Cavallino I’m going to all of the occasions plus many others. If you happen to ask me, ‘Was your loved ones pushing you to have that type of ardour for vehicles?’ Actually talking, no, I’ve real ardour for vehicles. Enzo stated that vehicles are the final word freedom, they provide the freedom to go wherever you need, and to lift your self to push the boundaries, and you consider the know-how round vehicles up to now hundred or so years, it’s unbelievable the place it’s proper now, by way of security and by way of efficiency.
dR: Cavallino hosts some wonderful Ferrari occasions all over the world, are you able to clarify extra about that?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: I bear in mind once I was first going to Palm Seaside in Florida as a child with my grandfather at Cavallino Traditional. This yr was the thirty fourth version of Cavallino in Palm Seaside. I additionally love the Cavallino journal, I’d all the time learn it and I really like the occasion. I feel there’s a possible in rising the occasion by some means, in attracting additionally a brand new era, and with the ability to groom the prevailing collectors, and with the ability to broaden the Cavallino occasion in different nations, equivalent to we’re doing this now in Abu Dhabi, in Modena in Italy, with out diluting it, so that you received’t see a Cavallino per 30 days. I feel that it wants that shortage of the occasions.
dR: Inform us immediately about Ferrari Household Investments, and what it means to be a Trustee of the Piero Ferrari Belief?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: So, two various things. With the Belief, we constructed that with a purpose to obtain continuity all through many years, and possibly centuries, and have the ability to management our shares of Ferrari. My grandfather owns the ten% since 1969, not lots of people know that, and the thought is to have a perpetuity of the shares within the household for the longer term, that’s the entire concept. When it comes to the Ferrari Household Investments, the thought is to have a diversification, so not simply on the automotive facet but additionally in different areas of investments.
dR: What do you suppose Enzo Ferrari would have fabricated from the automotive world immediately?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: Attention-grabbing query. To suppose that Ford is now truly price half of what Ferrari is price, I feel Enzo would have stated ‘You’re loopy!’ He would have been on the sting, on the lookout for new applied sciences, making vehicles much more enjoyable to drive, rising the efficiency, rising the security. He would have liked that steadiness of security and with the ability to actually benefit from the vehicles, as a result of proper now they go actually quick! If you happen to take like a 296 Problem automobile, for instance, it’s a loopy quick automobile! He would have liked that one, for positive.
dR: With regards to your nice grandfather, do you will have a favourite reminiscence or story that you simply’d prefer to share?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: I used to be born in February 1988, and he handed away in August 1988, and there’s just one image of myself on his lap. Though we didn’t actually have an opportunity to know one another very effectively, I’ve been extensively studying his biographies, so I type of can say that I do know Enzo Ferrari, particularly by means of tales and the phrases of my grandfather [Piero Ferrari]. That’s the important thing to figuring out this character, additionally as a human being when he was at dwelling, let’s say he was very distinctive, I’ve to let you know that.
dR: This yr it’s DuPont Registry’s fortieth anniversary, what message would you prefer to share with our readers?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: Properly, congratulations on the primary 40 years, I after all hope there may be gonna be greater than 40 years to come back. Luxurious vehicles is simply an incredible world, and all of the readers they’re so enthusiastic about that, they should go this ardour on to the era to come back for positive. That’s the mission for all automobile fanatics, it’s additionally true for readers of Cavallino in addition to duPont REGISTRY journal.
This text appeared in our June 2025 Concern.
Introducing the June 2025 problem of duPont REGISTRY, #481, starring the brand new Rolls-Royce Spectre Black Badge. To get your arms on a replica, both purchase a single problem or subscribe.
