Ferrari 125 S
The Ferrari 125 S holds a singular place in automotive history as the first car ever to carry the Ferrari name. Enzo Ferrari, who had previously managed the Alfa Romeo racing team as Scuderia Ferrari, struck out on his own after the war to create his own sports cars. The result was the Tipo 125, a compact roadster powered by a jewel-like 1.5-liter V12 engine designed by Gioacchino Colombo.
The Colombo V12 was a masterpiece of engineering for its era. Displacing just 1,497 cc, it featured a single overhead camshaft per bank, an aluminum block and heads, and a remarkably oversquare bore-and-stroke ratio. Fed by three Weber 30 DCF carburetors, it produced 118 horsepower at 6,800 rpm — an extraordinary specific output for 1947. The engine was mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, itself unusual for the period.
The chassis was a tubular steel ladder frame with independent front suspension by double wishbones and a transverse leaf spring, while the rear used a live axle on semi-elliptic leaf springs. The bodywork, crafted by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan, was an elegant cycle-fendered roadster in the immediate postwar tradition. At just 750 kg, the 125 S offered a remarkable power-to-weight ratio.
The 125 S made its competition debut on May 11, 1947, at the Piacenza circuit, driven by Franco Cortese. While it retired from that race with a fuel pump failure while leading, redemption came just two weeks later at the Rome Grand Prix on May 25, 1947, where Cortese drove the 125 S to Ferrari's first-ever victory. This was the beginning of a racing dynasty that would come to dominate motorsport.
Only two 125 S chassis were built. The first car, chassis 01C, was the Piacenza/Rome car. It was subsequently modified and raced throughout 1947, accumulating six victories in thirteen starts — an impressive debut season. The second chassis was also raced and later modified. Neither car survives in original 125 S configuration; both were updated to later specifications as was common practice for racing Ferraris of the era.
The 125 S established several Ferrari traditions that continue to this day: the front-mounted V12 engine, the Cavallino Rampante (Prancing Horse) badge inherited from World War I flying ace Francesco Baracca, and the philosophy of building road cars to fund racing. Enzo Ferrari himself referred to the 125 S as 'a promise' — and it was one he spectacularly kept.
The significance of the 125 S cannot be overstated. It is the genesis car of Ferrari, the fountainhead from which every 250 GTO, every Daytona, every F40, and every LaFerrari descends. While no original 125 S exists today, Ferrari built a meticulous recreation in 1987 that resides in the Museo Ferrari in Maranello, serving as a permanent tribute to where it all began.
No original Ferrari 125 S exists in its original configuration. Both chassis were modified into later specifications during their racing careers. The only 125 S in existence is a factory recreation built in 1987 for the Museo Ferrari. If an original were to surface, it would be effectively priceless — arguably the most important Ferrari ever built. The closest alternatives for collectors are early Colombo V12 Ferraris such as the 166 MM or 166 Inter.
Only 2 chassis were built (01C and 02C). Both were subsequently modified to 125 C (Competizione) and later 159 S specification, so no original 125 S survives. The Colombo V12 engine design would be scaled up and evolved through the 166, 195, 212, and ultimately the legendary 250 series. Ferrari built a faithful recreation in 1987 for the company museum.