You Might Be Shocked To Learn Just How Few Cars Ferrari Has Built and Sold in Almost 80 Years
It might be one of the most recognizable badges in all of car fandom. It’s the Prancing Horse, the immortal symbol behind storied automaker and Italian cultural icon: Ferrari. But part of Ferrari’s appeal is its exclusivity, meaning you’re much more likely to see a branded hat or shirt than one of the automaker’s cars. Still, even with rarity, you might be surprised to learn how few cars the Italian marque has built and sold since 1947. And, as wild as it sounds, the vast majority of these rare, sought-after exotic cars are still roadworthy.
Ferrari has sold around 330,000 cars since 1947, with a record 13,752 sales last year
1947. Europe is still picking up the pieces of a devastating world war. But in Italy, Enzo Ferrari rolls out his first prototype road cars: the 125 S and 159 S. Fast forward 78 years, and Enzo’s beloved automaker is still humming decades after he died in 1988.
But even with the better part of 80 years under its belt, Ferrari hasn’t built as many cars as you might think. Since 1947, the brand has produced and sold around 330,000 cars. Considering Ford sold 559,451 Mustangs in 1965 alone, the Italian automaker has rarity in spades.
CEO Benedetto Vigna acknowledged that rarity is part of the equation. “Scarcity is important,” Vigna said on the subject of the brand’s exclusivity and wait times. Still, Ferrari managed to break its sales record last year, moving 13,752 vehicles by the end of 2024.
Over 90% of the brand’s sought-after cars are still on the road
“More than 90% of the total Ferrari production – beyond 300,000 cars – is still on the road,” the Head of Sales Planning and Pre-owned Business at Ferrari, Andrea Scioletti, told Australian journalists at The Drive. While that might sound entirely believable, it’s a bragging right that names like Porsche can’t echo.
Porsche proudly touts that around 70% of its road cars are still roadworthy today. Mind you, Porsche is a much higher-volume manufacturer than Ferrari, having rolled out around 310,718 vehicles in 2024. But that magical 90% figure isn’t unheard of; British luxury automaker Aston Martin says 90% of its vehicles are still on the road.
