Ferrari, Competition, and the Italian Economy Ferrari is one of the world's most iconic brands in the high-performance luxury car sector. The brand has been associated with one of the most exotic and high-technology infused super car manufactures on the planet. As such, it requires a great deal of sophistication in the design and production of Ferrari's cars to maintain the bar it has set for themselves based on a rich heritage and dedication to racing that the company was founded upon. However, the company has faced some troubled periods in its developments and has been on the threshold of failure at multiple occasions. This analysis will provide an overview of the company's leadership throughout the years and how it has been able to embrace new generations of technology to maintain the company's core competencies in light of the evolution of the environmental landscape in which the company has found itself over the years.

Ferrari's Modern Development

Ferrari's story officially began in 1947 when the first Ferrari emerged from the historic factory entrance on Via Abetone Inferiore in Maranello which embodied the passion and determination of the company's first leader, Enzo Ferrari (Ferrari, N.d.). His vision and passion for motorsports set the foundation for the modern company that has become...

However, the company was failing to upholder this foundation during the 1980s and 1990s as it was fumbling on many major business metrics. For example, the company's sales were mediocre at best and the company was not maintaining the quality standards that the company is known for today.
At this point, a man named Luca Cordero di Montezemolo entered into the picture and is now referred to as the man who "saved" Ferrari in the early 1990s. When he rejoined Ferrari in 1991, several years after the death of legendary founder Enzo Ferrari, the company was floundering. "all the cars had engines in the back, and were very difficult to get into and out of -- very uncomfortable and a bit old-fashioned," Montezemolo recalls (Levine, 2011). Montezemolo came from a wealthy family that was able to provide him with many opportunities that most people would not have; such as attending college internationally at Columbia University or racing cars (for Ferrari as well as others). As he recalls a story about someone giving a hard time in a phone interview "he said I never would have amounted to anything if I didn't come from money, that car racing was a rich kid's sport and too dangerous and blah blah," recalls Montezemolo, " ... you've been to the States to become an…