Wednesday 12th March 1947

The first ever Ferrari, a Tipo 125 Spyder Corsa, was completed. The V12 engine was designed by Gioacchino Colombo with contributions from Giuseppe Busso and Luigi Bazzi. Sport and competition versions of the 125 S were built with different bodywork although the chassis and running gear of the cars remained basically identical.

The 125 S’s debut on the Piacenza circuit was, in the words of Enzo Ferrari himself, “a promising failure.” In fact, Franco Cortese had to pull out because of a problem with the fuel pump while leading the race. However, over the following four months, the 125 S was back on the track 13 times, winning six of its races.