Top 10 Things Ferrari Got Factually Right and Wrong

Top 10 Things Ferrari Got Factually Right and Wrong

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re examining the historical accuracy of Michael Mann’s “Ferrari.”

#10: The Cars

Right
Director Michael Mann is well-known for his commitment to authenticity, with his films often forgoing CGI in favor of practical effects and gritty realism. “Ferrari” is no different. Mann’s movie beautifully recreated the vehicles used in the 1957 Mille Miglia, including the Ferrari 315 S and Maserati 450S. Some of the vehicles were built specifically for the movie, including Eugenio’s Ferrari 801 Grand Prix, while others were rented, such as the Maserati 250 F. Whether originals, or meticulous recreations, the cars were period-accurate and beautiful to look at.

#9: Enzo Ferrari

Mixed
While Adam Driver is fantastic as Enzo Ferrari, the portrayal deviates in some ways from what we know of the real motor racing driver and entrepreneur. For example, the real Enzo Ferrari did not speak English. He spoke Italian (of course) and was conversant in French. We understand why Mann changed this for the movie; but unfortunately, Driver’s clipped Italian accent veers a little too far into Mario territory. The film may also have exaggerated his cold-hearted nature. While Enzo Ferrari was competitive and ruthless in business, and an autocratic leader, he’s also remembered as a complex man who was driven primarily by passion.

#8: The Locations

Right
Michael Mann took great care in crafting the film’s setting. It would have been easy to film in California or, even worse, in front of a green screen. But as we said, Mann is a stickler for authenticity, so he packed his bags and headed to Italy to film at real locations. Many of the settings were genuine, including the various sites visited by the 1957 Mille Miglia. Mann also shot at many different locales in and around Modena, including the historical center, the Monumental Cemetery of San Cataldo, and even Ferrari’s real barbershop.

#7: Enzo’s Attitude Towards Street Cars & Drivers

Right
Ferrari is one of the biggest names in the auto world, and owning one is a status symbol. Yet Ferrari himself didn’t care a lick about his street cars or their reputation, and in this way, the movie is absolutely correct. By all accounts, Ferrari made his famous street cars because he needed to fund his racing cars. He did want status, but only on the race track. And when it comes to racing, his one and only interest were the cars themselves. Ferrari driver Niki Lauda has said that “Ferrari’s only interest was winning. He really didn’t care about the drivers.” Ferrari accountant Carlo Benzi also claims that Enzo privately credited his cars for the wins, not their drivers.

#6: Enzo’s Secret Son

Mixed
It’s true that Enzo Ferrari kept his son Piero a secret. But the movie glosses over an important detail. The film makes it seem as if Ferrari’s wife, Laura Garello, was responsible for the secret. Laura tolerates Ferrari’s affairs but she draws the line at Piero, and tells Enzo that he cannot acknowledge Piero as his son until after she dies. In reality, it wasn’t Laura that kept Enzo from Piero, but Italy. At the time, divorce was illegal in the country. Enzo was not allowed to leave Laura, nor could he legally recognize Piero as his son. But Laura died in 1978, allowing Enzo to adopt Piero.

#5: Alfonso de Portago’s Crash

Right
“Ferrari” ends in dramatic fashion, with Gabriel Leone’s Alfonso de Portago crashing at the Mille Miglia. Portago refuses to change his tires and later suffers a blowout, causing his car to crash and kill multiple bystanders. Unfortunately, this was not made up for the film. On May 12, 1957, Portago suffered a blowout at 150 miles per hour and crashed into the crowd lining the highway. Nine spectators were killed, as were Portago and his co-driver, Edmund Nelson. This devastating event tarnished the reputation of the Mille Miglia, which was already considered extremely dangerous. It came to an end following the Portago crash and has not been raced since.

#4: The Fallout from the Crash

Wrong
Perhaps the biggest omission from the film is the manslaughter charge that Ferrari faced after the Portago crash. In the film, Ferrari is publicly blamed for the deaths and his reputation takes a hit, but he doesn’t face any significant penalties. In real life, both Ferrari and the tire manufacturer, Englebert, were charged with manslaughter. The criminal prosecution was very lengthy and public, and only dismissed several years after Portago’s 1957 crash, in 1961. If “Ferrari” was a miniseries, this case would have certainly been included. As it is, Mann decided to leave it out of the film.

#3: Ferrari’s Business Dealings

Wrong
It’s not just the manslaughter case that “Ferrari” glosses over. It also takes a few liberties with Ferrari’s business decisions. In the movie, Enzo tells a reporter to run a fake story about Ford potentially buying Ferrari. In fact, Ford really was considering this; but in the 1960s, after the movie’s timeline. Enzo Ferrari backed out when Ford wouldn’t promise him control of the company’s racing department. By the end of the movie, Ferrari’s financial troubles have seemingly disappeared. But Ferrari’s commitment to racing was quite financially burdensome; it was made a public company in 1960, and in 1969, 50% of its shares were sold to Fiat. It remained a subsidiary of Fiat until the mid 2010s.

#2: Dino’s Death

Right
In the movie, Enzo and his wife Laura are grieving the death of their son, Dino. Humanizing Enzo Ferrari is his grief following the death of his son, Dino. Dino’s absence hangs heavily over the film, providing narrative momentum and character development. And, sadly, it’s accurate. Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari was born in 1932 and was close with his father, even working under him as an engineer. But Dino fell ill and was eventually diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. He was cared for by Enzo, but the disease claimed his life in 1956 at just 24. While he was in the hospital, Dino discussed the technical details of an engine with his father. Ferrari later produced this engine, which was named after Dino.

#1: Ferrari’s Risk of Going Out of Business

Wrong
The film hangs the entire future of Ferrari on the 1957 Mille Miglia. If Ferrari doesn’t win, it will go out of business. But according to Luca Dal Monte, author of “Enzo Ferrari: Power, Politics, and the Making of an Automotive Empire,” this is “totally inaccurate.” The company wasn’t what it is today, but Ferrari was still in a pretty good place. As Dal Monte explains, the late 1950s was “not a particularly hard time for Ferrari,” thanks in large part to street car sales and Italy’s post-war economic boom. In Dal Monte’s own words, “I understand that this could make a good story, but it’s not necessarily accurate.”


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