We sat down with Enzo Ferrari’s great-grandson to talk all things Ferrari.
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari is not only the great-grandson of the legendary Enzo Ferrari and grandson of Piero Ferrari, but he is also an entrepreneur with a strong commitment to enhancing Italian heritage, a passionate car enthusiast, and an expert in the vintage automotive industry. In this exclusive interview, we ask him about a wide range of Ferrari-centric topics.
dR: Enzo, as a direct descendant of Ferrari’s founding father, what does it mean to carry on his name quite literally?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: I’ll share a story with you. It was 1988, and my mom was pregnant with me, and she shared the idea of calling me Enzo with her grandfather. And they were expecting this really emotional moment, as you can imagine, as he was more than 90 years old at this point. And he replied: ‘Yes, that’s a good name, very easy to remember and short.’ That’s it! That’s absolutely how he was!
dR: A man of action but not so many words. What do you think truly sets Ferrari apart from all the other brands out there?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: For sure, it’s the authenticity. The fact that Enzo started Scuderia Ferrari in 1929, and later he started selling road cars because he needed the money to fund the team. He wanted to race. There’s the funny story from 1956, when he lost the 24 Hours of Le Mans to Jaguar, and he was asked what’s gonna happen next year? And he said, ‘Jaguar is racing to sell cars. I’m selling cars to race. I’ll be back on top.’ There was the famous encounter between Enzo and Gianni Agnelli, whereby L’Avvocato [Fiat boss Agnelli’s nickname was ‘The Lawyer’] said ‘You know how to win?’ and Enzo’s answer was ‘I’m trained to win’. It’s like giving all of yourself to something. And that’s the key, that’s the authenticity. Then he started building cars and the rest is history. Now it’s worth more than any other OEM, even ones who tried to buy it, like Ford, which is incredible.
dR: And on the racing side, Ferrari still does a lot of winning whether it’s Formula 1, and of course winning the Le Mans 24 Hours two times running…
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: The manner of those Le Mans victories was incredible, like really unbelievable. To win the 100th anniversary race at Le Mans and then get back-to-back wins. And in Formula 1, Ferrari has been there since the beginning of the World Championship. Formula 1 is Ferrari, somehow. Last year, it was fighting back to the top and our object is to always be there to fight for the win, every single year.
dR: Ferrari is synonymous with luxury and performance, how do you see the brand evolving as the years go by?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: Keeping the authenticity, keeping the racing, maintaining the heritage. Make sure that you’re able to share with the new generation about where we come from. And make great products. Without the products, you’re selling nothing. That’s the real key.
dR: Recently you’ve taken up the role of President of Cavallino, through your role as CEO of Ferrari Family Investments, tell us why…
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: Personally speaking, I’m a car enthusiast. I was growing up with Ferrari, but I always loved cars, regardless of the brand. I’m no collector, but I race some events with vintage cars. Of course, as the President of Cavallino I go to all the events plus many others. If you ask me, ‘Was your family pushing you to have that kind of passion for cars?’ Honestly speaking, no, I have genuine passion for cars. Enzo said that cars are the ultimate freedom, they give you the freedom to go wherever you want, and to raise yourself to push the boundaries, and you think about the technology around cars in the past hundred or so years, it’s unbelievable where it is right now, in terms of safety and in terms of performance.
dR: Cavallino hosts some amazing Ferrari events around the world, can you explain more about that?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: I remember when I was first going to Palm Beach in Florida as a kid with my grandfather at Cavallino Classic. This year was the 34th edition of Cavallino in Palm Beach. I also love the Cavallino magazine, I would always read it and I love the event. I think there’s a potential in growing the event somehow, in attracting also a new generation, and being able to groom the existing collectors, and being able to expand the Cavallino event in other countries, such as we’re doing this now in Abu Dhabi, in Modena in Italy, without diluting it, so you won’t see a Cavallino per month. I think that it needs that scarcity of the events.
dR: Tell us today about Ferrari Family Investments, and what it means to be a Trustee of the Piero Ferrari Trust?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: So, two different things. With the Trust, we built that in order to achieve continuity throughout decades, and maybe centuries, and be able to control our shares of Ferrari. My grandfather owns the 10% since 1969, not a lot of people know that, and the idea is to have a perpetuity of the shares in the family for the future, that’s the whole idea. In terms of the Ferrari Family Investments, the idea is to have a diversification, so not just on the automotive side but also in other areas of investments.
dR: What do you think Enzo Ferrari would have made of the automotive world today?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: Interesting question. To think that Ford is now actually worth half of what Ferrari is worth, I think Enzo would have said ‘You’re crazy!’ He would have been on the edge, looking for new technologies, making cars even more fun to drive, increasing the performance, increasing the safety. He would have loved that balance of safety and being able to really enjoy the cars, because right now they go really fast! If you take like a 296 Challenge car, for example, it’s a crazy fast car! He would have loved that one, for sure.
dR: On the subject of your great grandfather, do you have a favorite memory or story that you’d like to share?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: I was born in February 1988, and he passed away in August 1988, and there’s only one picture of myself on his lap. Although we didn’t really have a chance to know each other very well, I’ve been extensively reading his biographies, so I kind of can say that I know Enzo Ferrari, especially through stories and the words of my grandfather [Piero Ferrari]. That’s the key to knowing this character, also as a human being when he was at home, let’s say he was very unique, I have to tell you that.
dR: This year it’s DuPont Registry’s 40th anniversary, what message would you like to share with our readers?
Enzo Mattioli Ferrari: Well, congratulations on the first 40 years, I of course hope there is gonna be more than 40 years to come. Luxury cars is just an amazing world, and all the readers they’re so passionate about that, they need to pass this passion on to the generation to come for sure. That’s the mission for all car enthusiasts, it’s also true for readers of Cavallino as well as duPont REGISTRY magazine.
This article appeared in our June 2025 Issue.
Introducing the June 2025 issue of duPont REGISTRY, #481, starring the new Rolls-Royce Spectre Black Badge. To get your hands on a copy, either buy a single issue or subscribe.