History of The Ferrari Logo
This horse seems to be everywhere. You’ve seen the Ferrari logo on books, television, movies, speed tracks, and many more. As one of the most recognizable animal logos in the world, the Ferrari logo carries a rich story. It has transcended being just a brand mark.
Today, we are going to talk about the story of how this symbol of luxury came to be:
- Meet the Designer
- Meanings and Theories
- Ferrari Logo Evolution
Let’s take a drive to this renowned brand logo’s story.
Meet the Designer
Enzo Ferrari has once narrated the story behind his brand’s signature mark. He said:
“The horse was painted on the fuselage of the fighter plane of Francesco Baracca — a heroic airman of the first world war. In ’23, I met count Enrico Baracca, the hero’s father, and then his mother, countess Paulina, who said to me one day, ‘Ferrari, put my son’s prancing horse on your cars. It will bring you good luck’. The horse was and still is, black, and I added the canary yellow background, which is the color of Modena.”
The fans in the car and racing community are very familiar with the famous Ferrari “Prancing Horse” symbol. It comes with a yellow background. For text, it features the letters S and F that stands for Scuderia Ferrari.
Originally, the horse used to be a symbol of Count Francesco Baracca. He is a legendary “asso” (ace) of the Italian air force during World War I, who painted it on the side of his aircraft. Baracca died on June 19, 1918 as a young lad. He was shot down after 34 victorious duels and many team victories.
Eventually, he became a national hero. Baracca had wanted the prancing horse on his planes because his squad, the “Battaglione Aviatori”, was enrolled in a Cavalry regiment (air forces were at their first years of life and had no separate administration), and also because he himself was known to be the best cavalier of his team.
Francesco Baracca is associated with the logo origin of the company.
Meanings and Theories
People love a good story. Especially fans. For Ferrari, there are different theories and stories associated with it. Check them out:
The Scuderia Ferrari logo Coat of Arms of the City of Stuttgart has a touching story. Horses were a mainstay in the Lugo di Romagna estates of Baracca. The logo was an ode to Baracca’s noble family.
Another theory suggests Baracca copied the famed horse design. He allegedly took inspiration from a shot down German pilot with a Stuttgart emblem on his plane.
It is also worth noting that Porsche also took inspiration from this icon. The German sports car manufacturer took the city emblem featuring the horse.
Another interesting fact is that Stuttgart is an over the centuries modified version of Stutengarten. It is an ancient German word for “Gestüt”, which translates into English as mare garden or stud farm, into Italian as “scuderia”.
Ferrari won a race at the Savio track in Ravenna. On this June 17, 1923 event, he met Countess Paolina, mother of Baracca. The Countess asked that he use the horse on his cars, suggesting that it would grant him good luck.
The first race at which Alfa would let him use the horse on Scuderia cars was eleven years later, at SPA 24 Hours in 1932. Ferrari won. Ferrari left the horse black as it had been on Baracca’s plane; however, he added a yellow background because it was the symbolic color of his birthplace, Modena.
The prancing horse has not always identified the Ferrari brand only: Fabio Taglioni used it on his Ducati motorbikes. Taglioni’s father was, in fact, a companion of Baracca’s and fought with him in the 91st Air Squad, but as Ferrari’s fame grew, Ducati abandoned the horse; this may have been the result of a private agreement between the two brands. Today, however, the prancing horse is now a trademark of Ferrari.
Ferrari Logo Evolution
This iconic brand is no exception when it comes to redesigning. For a brand to retain relevance, it must strive to improve continually. In this section, we will look at how Ferrari changed its logo through the years since 1929.
1947
1951
1994
2002 to present day
The logo did not change much over the years. We didn’t see any major overhaul since its beginning. It only changed its borders and shape, yet retained the same colors and illustration. Ferrari is a great example of a timeless design.
Conclusion
Stefan Thomke, a professor at Harvard Business School, once said that the brand’s goal is to create a sensual experience. This is a unique and fitting description of the brand. The car manufacturer is one of the most famous Italian brands in the world.
Ferrari continues to keep a classy statement with the Prancing Horse. Your company can create an iconic logo, too. Just head over to BrandCrowd business logo maker and customize a symbol that will take your brand further.
