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Ferrari and Porsche are two of the biggest names in performance-focused vehicles, but their backgrounds couldn’t be more different. While both automakers produce impressive cars, Ferrari’s commitment to Formula 1 racing — and its influence on production vehicles — presents a stark contrast with its German competitor.
Ferrari and Porsche have vastly different origins: Ferrari is rooted in the racing world, whereas Porsche began by offering motor vehicle development work and consulting.
The concept of Ferrari began in 1929 as Alfa Romeo’s racing division, then known as Scuderia Ferrari (a name Ferrari uses for racing to this day). It wasn’t until 1947 that Ferrari established itself as a true automaker with the release of the 125 S — but then, as now, the design of every vehicle is rooted in the racing world, and thus in pushing the limits of what is possible for supercars and hypercars to achieve. It’s as much a reason that Ferrari has earned a record 16 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championships as it is for the Prancing Horse’s production vehicles continually getting better and faster.
Porsche began by providing vehicle consulting services to the German government, with one of its first designs becoming the Volkswagen Beetle — a storied design, to be sure, but not a car that’s known for its performance. Its first performance vehicle — the Porsche 64 — was developed using many of the components that were also used in the Beetle. During World War II, Porsche was focused on designing tanks. It wasn’t until 1948 that Porsche was able to release the 356 — the first car that Porsche actually sold.
Porsche didn’t become involved in motorsports until the 1950s, and while they saw success in certain venues, they’ve never been a major player in Formula 1. In other words, racing is something that Porsche came to eventually; by contrast, Ferrari grew out of a racing spirit.
The origins of Ferrari and Porsche speak to the difference in the performance of their vehicles. Consider a recent example from each automaker:
You may have noticed that the Ferrari and Porsche logos both look similar: they both have a prancing horse on their badges. While the horses are similar, the designs are different from one another, and the horse was adopted by each automaker for different reasons:
One logo was a default option, while the other was earned. There’s a reason that Ferrari — not Porsche — is also known as the Prancing Horse.
A Ferrari is unlike anything else on the road, including the best that Porsche has to offer. The only way to truly understand is to drive a Ferrari for yourself. If you’re ready to take the next step, we’ll be delighted to help you buy a Ferrari of your own, whether you’re in Indianapolis, Milwaukee, or elsewhere in the United States. We proudly serve enthusiasts throughout the country from our Chicago-area dealership, so contact Continental AutoSports Ferrari today to begin!
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