100 Cars That Changed History

“Ferrari 125 S” by Aiace90 – Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

39. Ferrari 125S 1947 Italy

The Ferrari 125 S (or 125 sport) was the first car produced by the Italian automaker Ferrari. Though owner Enzo Ferrari had previously built the Auto AvioCostruzioni 815, the 125 S was the first car to bear the Ferrari name. The sports car debuted at the Piacenza race circuit on May 11th, 1947 in northern Italy. While Enzo’s previous car had boasted a V8, the 125 S featured a V12 engine. While it did not finish the race at Piacenza, it did go on to earn Ferrari its first victory two weeks later at the Grand Prix of Rome. From that victory a legendary name and a standard in high performance sports car was born: Ferrari. While the company went on the produce many notable cars, the 125 S is what started it all.