Services
Insurance
Loans
Repairs
Advice
About

When did Ford try to buy Ferrari?

I was chatting with a bunch of my guy friends the other day who are huge car guys, and one of them mentioned that Ford tried to buy Ferrari. When did this happen?

avatar
Andrea Barrett · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Ford
tried to buy Ferrari in 1963 in a move that Enzo Ferrari approved and later backed out of at the last moment.
Ford’s owner and then CEO, Henry Ford, spent considerable time and energy researching the company and doing his due diligence. According to Forbes, Enzo Ferrari found a clause in the purchase contract that would give Ford control over the Ferrari racing team—and he wasn’t going to let that happen.
After the deal ended, Henry Ford founded Ford Advanced Vehicles in 1963 and later commissioned Shelby American and Holman & Moody to work with the company. Their goal was to build the best Ford race cars capable of rivaling Ferrari at France’s Le Mans 24-Hour race. Ford gave up on this front after two years of unsuccessful trial and error.
But Ferrari was sold eventually—just not to Ford. In 1969, Ferrari sold 50% of the company to
Fiat
. After Enzo passed n 1988, Fiat bought another 40% of the company, while the remaining 10% was left to Enzo’s son, Piero Ferrari. In 2005, 5% of Ferrari was purchased from Fiat, which became part of the Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) group. Currently, Ferrari is owned by a multinational automotive conglomerate, Stellantis.
View full answer 
WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.

Join 4M+ members in lowering their car insurance

Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance

√
No long forms
√
No spam or unwanted phone calls
√
Quotes from top insurance companies
Find insurance savings