Ferrari - by John Starkey (Paperback)

About the Book

John Starkey tells the story of Ferrari's Formula One and Formula Two cars in the early 1950s as they competed to win the new World Championship.

Book Synopsis

Ferrari have the distinction of being the only manufacturer to have competed throughout the history of Formula 1. The company's early Formula 1 and Formula 2 cars first appeared at the Italian Grand Prix in September 1948. It was these cars, particularly in 1950 and 1951, that really brought the name Ferrari to the attention of the general public by competing at the very pinnacle of motor racing, the Formula 1 World Championship. During the Second World War, Enzo Ferrari had a factory in Maranello making grinding machines, but he had a burning ambition - to dominate international motor racing. Within two years, his workforce had produced the company's first sports car and in 1948 Ferrari presented his first single-seater F1 cars to the world. By 1951, his new 4.5-litre F1 cars were beating his old nemesis, Alfa Romeo, on their way to winning the World Championship in 1952 and 1953.

John Starkey tells the story of those early years as Ferrari struggled to overcome many obstacles to win the new World Championship. Featuring rare archive photographs, this is an indispensable guide to Ferrari's first racing cars and the emergence of motor racing as an elite sports phenomenon.

Review Quotes

'Great archive images with manageable levels of detailed information mean this is a great, cheap introduction for those wanting to fill the gaps in their early Ferrari knowledge.'-- "Classic & Sports Car Magazine, May 2026"

'Here's a gem of a book, written by top automotive author John Starkey. A concise look at Ferrari Monoposto single-seaters that raced between 1948-1952. A lovely little book.'-- "Track Kit Custom Magazine, July/ August 2025"

'John Starkey's engaging study tells the story of the early Ferraris and their winning ways. There's an excellent selection of period images including Raymond Sommer driving the first Ferrari monoposto to victory in a Formula Two race at Firenze in September 1948.'-- "Best of British Magazine, August 2025"

'John Starkey's engaging volume tells the story well accompanied by an excellent atmospheric selection of images including some period rarities.'-- "Classic Car Weekly, July 2025"

About the Author

John Starkey's love for fast cars began in the 1970s with a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Comp. Berlinetta. The racing bug bit hard when he drove a Porsche RSR and he began to write books on sports and racing cars.