On October 5, 1919, a young Italian car mechanic and engineer
named Enzo Ferrari took part in his first car race, a hill climb in
Parma, Italy. He finished fourth. Ferrari was a good driver, but
not a great one: In all, he won just 13 of the 47 races he entered.

Many people say that this is because he cared too much for the
sports cars he drove: He could never bring himself to ruin an
engine in order to win a race.

In the mid-1920s, Ferrari retired from racing cars in order to
pursue his first love: building them.

      
Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari  (1898 – 1988)