Business

Enzo Ferrari

Rejected by Fiat in 1919; built his first car bearing his own name at 49.

Born: 1898 · Modena, Italy
Roots: Italian, from Emilia-Romagna
Family: Middle class; His father ran a small metal workshop; both father and brother died in 1916, collapsing the family finances.
Education: Cut short by war and the family's collapse
Started with: A Fiat rejection; Turned down for a job in 1919; by his account, he wept on a park bench in Turin.
Affiliations & societies: None documented.; Information only — claims like these are often unverifiable and may be wrong.

The pathway

1919 · age 21
Rejected by Fiat
Veterans flood the job market; he finds test-driving work instead.
1920 · age 22
Alfa Romeo
Race driver, then team manager.
1929 · age 31
Scuderia Ferrari
Founds a racing stable running Alfas for wealthy amateurs.
1939 · age 41
Leaves Alfa
With a non-compete barring the Ferrari name from racing for four years.
1947 · age 49
First Ferrari
The 125 S; road cars exist to pay for the racing.
1963 · age 65
The Ford deal collapses
He walks out over control of the race team; Ford answers with the GT40 program.
1969 · age 71
Sells 50% to Fiat
Keeps command of racing until his death in 1988.

Sources

Compiled from these references and contemporaneous press reporting. Figures are approximate; verify before relying on them.