1970: What Makes FERRARI Special? | Wheelbase | Retro Transport | BBC Archive

"Embattled behind his steel fence, Enzo Ferrari broods, makes cars and issues orders."
Wheelbase visits the Ferrari factory at Maranello in Modena, Italy. There, the 72-year-old former racing driver Enzo Ferrari, and his talented staff of designers, engineers and mechanics, make arguably the world's most famous sports cars.
What is it about this man, this city and these workers that make Ferrari such an enduringly iconic car?
Clip taken from Wheelbase, originally broadcast on BBC Two, 27 October, 1970.
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[@petergivenbless900]

"It's too fast for you, and you're not a good enough driver", and yet, to this day, countless young men find out the hard way!

[@Abi2612]

Fantastic footage! The silvergrey Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona „Plexi“ that gets test driven in the hills near Maranello at the end of the video is most likely s/n 13621, an example that was sold new on August 10, 1970 to a British industrialist in LHD configuration for his home in France. This example features the small orange indicator repeater lights in both front wings which only the German and UK supplied Daytonas had. Furthermore, it has the white perimeter parking lights below the headlights - another rare feature, both of which s/n 13621 does have. BBC aired this film for the first time in October of 1970, so it makes sense that it was probably filmed in late July or early August. The Daytona s/n 13621 did remain in family ownership from 1970 through 2023 when I assisted to find a new home for it.

[@ianmangham4570]

Watching that now while I read your comment 😅

[@chumleyk]

Remember, in 1970 the average yearly salary in the UK was just over £1000! Average house price was £4000. Tax on the well off was 90%. So £7000 for a car then was nuts, especially when cars weren't collected because they still were seen as tools

[@adelaideautowashes]

I miss when most people could afford housing.

[@teddy1066]

“It’s too fast for you and you’re not a good enough driver” -Enzo Ferrari

[@MichaelBosley]

No CNC tools or inspection in sight. All manual and mechanical. Would be interested to see the tolerance comparisons with a modern manufactured engine.

[@stephenscholes4758]

But they were just around the corner....tape controlled machining was taking place in specialist shops from the mid 1960s

[@fritzmuller8246]

Better times then . I recall driving my fathers Dino . It was a great little car . We restored her to concourse . I then had Mondial and a super 348 . Now I'm building a one off 1950s style Barchetta . Once you've been part of this legacy you can't ever go back .I was 3 days old when this clip was made .

[@Pulsonar]

This is more interesting than the 2023 Ferrari movie.

[@arnebiesma1285]

When both the BBC and Ferrari were still at the top of their game.

[@nickysixx2480]

Ferrari yes but bbc no

[@kimballbenson8116]

If you imply Ferrari cut corners and cheaply built engines, then you're completely nuts. Ferrari was all about racing and winning and to think he would build engines and drivetrains that would fail, break down and lose races is shear stupidity. Why do you think he built it all himself?? It was to control it and make sure everything was built right, not relied on some supplier. Criticize Ferrari?? Well why dont you go out and build engines that hit 12,000 rpm and dont break....

[@gv-k4f7g5b9]

Clutches on Ferrari's are rubbish; just ask Mr Lamborghini 😂

[@wallyr.7854]

What a fantastic feature, as an owner of a mid 70s Ferrari, I absolutely loved this video ❤ Thank you for posting this (historical) brilliant piece. FORZA FERRARI 💪🏼

[@gtaluvr1992]

which model?

[@wallyr.7854]

@@gtaluvr1992 76 308 GTB 🙌

[@asensibleyoungman2978]

I bet you're the sort who wears clothes with Ferrari logos aren't you?

[@wallyr.7854]

@@asensibleyoungman2978 Lol, sometimes I look like a Ferrari Store vomited all over me…..even pajamas 😌

[@PhillipHomer]

Which model?

[@aeiouxs]

Wonderful stuff, so refreshing to see this vision of Ferrari - and the manufacturing processes.

[@UpTheAnte1987]

Nice to see what that test road up in to the hills that all the press still use today looked like 50 years ago

[@dwakim1]

My exact thoughts!

[@benzina5917]

Absolutely superb period content. Thank you for posting.

[@nelsonclub7722]

I had a Dino - 246GT - Rosso over Cream - usual suspect - brilliant when it worked which sadly wasn't most of the time.

[@jefflemon7382]

The picture inviting us to watch this, and the video both feature a Dino. Dino's were NEVER badged as Ferraris when new. And I kick myself for not buying one in the late 70's when I had the chance

[@KiltedGreen]

Just imagine the rubbish the voiceover presenter would be coming out with if this had been made today instead of 50+ years ago. Loved this though.

[@duncanbick6732]

Let’s not imagine, it would be truly awful!

[@asensibleyoungman2978]

And all the editing acrobatics trying to give a sense of suspense and excitement. Oh and don't forget the workers walking up to the camera in slow motion and standing there with their arms folded while looking proud and defiant.

[@donswier]

Great to hear the perspective from the era before Porsche would dominate LeMans. This is also pre-James Hunt, pre- Magnum Ferrari.

[@astra47420]

Brilliant suff love it 👍

[@NLBassist]

What a great vid and a great historic insight! Thanks!

[@sergioleone3583]

Those have to be the mellifluous tones of the great Raymond Baxter? Suitable class and style for a piece on Ferrari. Forza! (If only the Beeb had such class today...)

[@bluedick321]

6.51-7.08sec 'Without an heir!, 25 year old Piero sitting right there.

[@marcusbonello3106]

He was not legally acknowledged then .

[@thepro08]

a ferrari for 6k, they made 75 per month so in 10years they could buy one... today you think a engineer can buy a top range brand new ferrari in 10years???? bet also you could buy a big house for 10k today 1 million, inflation is the biggest robbery tot eh poor ever created.

[@DanielHillCoaching]

I’d love to know who the Prince was - typical Enzo 👏🏻 Brilliant 🤩 Thanks for the upload 🇮🇹❤️🐎

[@jdb47games]

That particular story is almost certainly apocryphal, but it is the sort of thing that Ferrari genuinely do to aspiring customers they consider beneath them.

[@NLBassist]

I guess it wasn't Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands. He was a good friend of Enzo's, and owned several Ferrari's. Pierro Ferrari spoke very fondly about Bernhard in an official Ferrari vid, spme days ago.

[@rickintexas1584]

What a wonderful glimpse into the past.

[@hassyg4083]

whenever people restore Ferrari's from that era you see how cheaply they were built and how they cut corners on quality

[@KatieCooper1990]

Absolutely true. Enzo and the management didn’t give a damn about quality with regards to their road cars back then. All they cared about was the race team. The quality control of that era is appalling.

[@aineo2888]

Modern Ferraris are not so different when you look behind the A surface (what the customer sees and touches). I worked at a place that tore down a 458, and the hidden areas were very shabby in places. Not so with Aston Martin, much harder to find anything rough on them.

[@Zontar82]

lol you lambo fanboys are really something

[@KatieCooper1990]

@@Zontar82 Constructive criticism is always better than blind fandom. P.S. Learn how to spell.

[@NoosaHeads]

You've obviously never owned a pre-70s Ferrari. They were extremely well built. Vastly better built that than an E-Type and probably better built than an Aston Martin. I speak from experience.

[@paulmcc9622]

It's hard ro believe that BBC2's 70s motoring show, "Wheelbase", would be relaunched as ... Top Gear !!

[@moniquelee3623]

Interesting fact to know, when Enzo Ferrari died in 1988, 4 things were on his desk: a phone, a diary, a calendar.. and a photo of the piccolo Canadese. "My past is scarred with grief, father, mother, brother, sister, wife ...my life is full of sad memories. I look back and I see my loved ones and among my loved ones I see the face of this great man: Gilles Villeneuve,'' he had said few years earlier.

[@ian-t7t]

I wonder if they would be so fetishised if they carried the English transltion off his name;;;Henry Smith...

[@KSL12]

Great video !

[@ianmangham4570]

5:08 Oh dear ,that's gonna Fail 😅 🇬🇧 ,as a kid in the 70s I was surrounded by Lucas spares 😅

[@ianmangham4570]

No way they had more "experts in their own field" at ferrari than Ford 🇺🇸 America is fkn HUGE.

[@ianmangham4570]

6.5k 🇬🇧, I remember my parents paid 4k for a 3 bed house in 1970 😅

[@DrRock2009]

@2:47. PPE anyone? 🙄

[@ianmangham4570]

Aluminium and silicon, just say Magnesium eh! 😅 🇬🇧

[@dasgellendehorn1393]

Ferrari is the pinnacle of quality, speed and design.

[@asensibleyoungman2978]

But they fall apart and break down.

[@dasgellendehorn1393]

@@asensibleyoungman2978 nonsense

[@asensibleyoungman2978]

@@dasgellendehorn1393 I've know people who own them.

[@dasgellendehorn1393]

can I have their names I want to inquire

[@asensibleyoungman2978]

@@dasgellendehorn1393 Oh yeah! I'm really going to give out personal information on here.

[@GBURGE55]

A 365 GT2+2 for £9000. Put me on the waiting list!

[@dcarbs2979]

Twice the price of the average house, which it pretty much still is today as a cheap one is £500k.

[@ianmangham4570]

0:50 Paulie Walnuts! Forget about it.😅

[@simmadpaul2880]

£6K sold when can I take delivery 😂

[@asensibleyoungman2978]

£78,450 in 2023 money when you adjust to match inflation.

[@chumleyk]

@@asensibleyoungman2978 It's only a recent phenomenon where people are prepared to spend millions on a car (adjusted for inflation) because even back then, a car was seen more as a disposable tool. That and the fact that most countries back then would tax their rich people at 90%!!

[@asensibleyoungman2978]

@@chumleyk Nonsense! Rich people have always driven Rolls Royces, Ferraris and Aston Martins.

[@ianmangham4570]

6 twin choke carbs,now thats music 🎶 😅

[@kimchisgood2993]

British doing cars and fish & chips Italians doing supercars and Truffle 😂

[@asensibleyoungman2978]

You think Bentley, Aston Martin and Rolls Royce were inferior?

[@kimchisgood2993]

@@asensibleyoungman2978 yes , Rolls Royce it’s the worst car …. So many problems and specially ignition system check the last year so many recalls 😂 If you give me one Rolls Royce for free I gonna sell straight away I’m go for a yacht …. 😂 Aston Martin have big issues with quality control … transmission problem … early rusting …. Btw fish and chips are Irish …. 😂

[@RoverWaters]

Enzo lost hes executive power completely over the automobili division in 1971

[@jorgefernandes6915]

Wonderful footage.

[@johnbecker70]

Always enjoy such vintage videos. Thanks for sharing.

[@xelphinx]

This is Fantastic .grazZiZziMO!🇮🇹🇮🇹gF NM/FL USA

[@markyamaguchi9571]

I don't care how super fast a Ferrari goes i care how a Ferrari looks. And nobody does it better better than ( PININFARINA ) and todays Ferrari are ugly so Ferrari please bring back pininfarina and make Ferrari beautiful again.

[@sergioleone3583]

I do agree with you that nearly all modern cars are fugly. Aston make the best looking modern cars, the last really nice Ferrari was the 458 and that was an anomaly. Don't forget such as Vignale, Touring, and Scaglietti, who also made beautiful Ferraris. They aren't around anymore, but Pininfarina isn't exactly creating what they used to either.

[@patrickhenz996]

Thanks for publishing this historic footage!

[@hovermotion]

With 16 constructors won, amazing company..

[@iybjs5308]

£9000 ferrari? Yes please where do I get mine

[@BNapoletani]

Incredible footage, and narration.

[@markyamaguchi9571]

What makes Ferrari special. ( PININFARINA )

[@sergioleone3583]

Touring, Vignale, Scaglietti. Then, there are folks like Colombo, Lampredi, Forghieri, and so on. Do yer research, mate.

[@imarod78]

I get a better impression of what Ferrari and his company were all about from this 10 min segment than the entire 2 hrs of waste time watching the recent Michael Mann Ferrari movie.

[@dcarbs2979]

You would do. That wasn't the point of the film.

[@djtomoy]

I bet those cars broke down a lot

[@briansaiditsoitmustbetrue4206]

I do hope you have kept enough money to buy some RAC/AA Breakdown cover when you bought this overhyped pile of junk..

[@porscha901]

Fiat and lancia

[@simonmenzies3142]

Nothing to anyone under 50

[@dcarbs2979]

I'm a lifelong fan under 50. Owned one at 21 but just old enough to have been on the Earth at the same time as Enzo.

[@dannywest7587]

What makes Ferrari special ? I'll tell you, having far too much money,conceit,small-minded Ness, and most important the brain of a sheep.

[@gastonave]

Ferrari did not become an Italian hero as a racing driver. His career as a driver was unspectacular and he was in fact quite mediocre behind the wheel of a race car.

[@markw9512]

@gastonave He participated in 41 Grands Prix and won 11. A 27% win rate is not exactly mediocre.

[@idokwatcher2062]

Pretentious. Horrible shoddy workmanship. Commendatore huh, awarded by Musolini huh.

[@Bosko423]

What makes a ferarri special? A correct marketing for the correct type of rich people, nothing more.😊

[@sergioleone3583]

You mis-spelled "Porsche". Or "BMW"...

[@stringer-ik1pc]

Theyre a laughable brand, associated with old men who want to be young.

[@manofweed1]

Ferrari is Ferrari with all that illustrious name means, but wouldn't hold a candle to a modern say Honda, quality wise.