Ferrari Scuderia Logo PNG
If you don’t look closely, you might think the Ferrari Scuderia logo is entirely borrowed from the parent company’s corporate style. But this is only partly true, since the markings on this series of cars have almost always differed from the emblem of the famous colleague. And now it is no longer identical, since it contains a small sign at the bottom of the horse, and elegant letters “S” and “F,” which together encrypt its full name.
The Ferrari story begins with Enzo Ferrari, born in 1898 in Modena. His interest in racing began in 1908 after he visited the Coppa Fiorio. In 1923, he won at Circuito del Savio, where the family of pilot Francesco Baracca gave him the prancing horse emblem later used by Ferrari.
In 1929, Scuderia Ferrari was formed to operate Alfa Romeo cars with backing from Pirelli. Between 1929 and 1937, the team recorded 144 wins in 225 races, with drivers such as Giuseppe Campari and Tazio Nuvolari, including a notable victory in Germany in 1935 against Mercedes and Auto Union.
In 1937, Alfa Romeo absorbed the team into Alfa Corse. Enzo Ferrari left in 1939 and, under restrictions on the use of his name, created Auto Avio Costruzioni. Production moved to Maranello in 1943. In 1947, the Ferrari 125 S debuted with a V12 engine and won six of its first ten races.
Ferrari entered Formula 1 in 1950 and secured its first win in 1951 with José Froilán González, ending Alfa Romeo’s dominance. In 1952 and 1953, Alberto Ascari won consecutive titles with a streak of victories.
In 1969, Fiat acquired a 50% stake in the company, stabilizing its finances. Titles followed in the 1970s with Niki Lauda and Jody Scheckter. In 1982, driver Gilles Villeneuve died during qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix. In 1988, weeks before Enzo Ferrari’s death, the team achieved a one-two finish at Monza.
A dominant phase came with Jean Todt, Ross Brawn, and Michael Schumacher, during which they won multiple titles from 1999 to 2004. The last driver’s championship was in 2007, won by Kimi Räikkönen. Since 2025, Lewis Hamilton has driven for Ferrari.
Meaning and History
There is a beautiful legend about the creation of the Ferrari logo, told by the team’s founder, Enzo Ferrari. On the evening of June 17, 1923, the day of his first victory at Circuito di Savio, the emblem was gifted to Count Enrico Baracca, the father of the famous ace of World War I, in whose squadron Enzo’s brother Dino served. After this, the racer met Countess Paolina, the pilot’s mother, who suggested to Enzo, “Ferrari, depict on your car a rearing horse, the same as on the side of my son’s plane. His emblem will bring you luck.”
However, some believe the black horse is not Baracca’s sign. It is the sign of the entire 912 squadron, and the pilot’s parents could not transfer the sign to Ferrari. Others claim that the horse is the coat of arms of Stuttgart, which Baracca cut out of the canvas covering the fuselage of a German plane he shot down. He hung the souvenir on his ship; it was a special item that pilots from both warring sides usually received. Enzo did not use the horse emblem until 1932.
At the dawn of racing, the cars of each country were assigned their color: green for the English, blue for the French, and red for the Italians. But later, red became associated only with Ferrari.
The term “scuderia” dates back to the Middle Ages. In Italian, it denoted a place where racehorses, now replaced by racing cars, were kept.
The image of a rearing horse on the yellow shield of the Ferrari logo was first applied to the car’s side panels in 1952 by Nello Ugolini, Scuderia’s sports manager. Before that year, the Ferrari sign was only placed on the hood.
The Ferrari logo’s background is yellow, the color of Modena, where Ferrari was born.
What is Ferrari (Scuderia)?
This is the most recognizable Formula 1 team, embodying Ferrari’s racing essence. Based in Maranello, Italy, it began as a racing division that prepared and ran Alfa Romeo cars, gradually transforming into Ferrari’s independent racing powerhouse. The team has claimed numerous victories across various racing disciplines, particularly in Formula 1, where it remains the only team to have participated in every season since the championship’s inception.
1950 – 1964
The original logo featured the company and team names, with a miniature sign of a walking horse beneath them. It was used to decorate Scuderia Ferrari trucks. Additionally, the letter “r” visually conveyed the horse’s contours. The upper part of the capital “F” was expanded to the full length of the word, and a horizontal oval replaced the dot over the “i.”
1964 – 1983
In 1965, designers altered the proportions of the inscription and drawing, making the prancing horse the emblem’s main element. They painted the name in yellow and placed it below, turning it into a podium for the powerful animal.
1983 – 1994
In 1983, Ferrari (Scuderia) introduced a yellow rectangular logo with a black horse in the middle. Below was the brand name, in which the upper line of the letter “F” was elongated and almost reached the dot over the “i.” Above were three stripes: green, white, and red. Their colors correspond to the Italian tricolor.
1994 – 1996
In 1994, the logo received official status and a refreshed entourage. Then, three company stripes in the Italian flag colors appeared at the top. Subsequently, they were used in various modifications. The designers moved the prancing horse and the name into a yellow vertical rectangle. To prevent the letters from merging with the background, they repainted the inscription in black. A thin, dark frame ran around the entire perimeter of the geometric figure. The corners of the rectangle were rounded.
1996 – 1999
In 1997, the racing team Scuderia’s sponsor became Phillip Morris, the manufacturer of Marlboro cigarettes, so the team’s name was included in the logo. To this end, the designers radically revised their style and fine-tuned some details, harmoniously placing the tobacco product advertisement. A large red rectangle was divided into three parts. The top two were equal-sized squares framed in white. On the left was a prancing horse in a yellow shield with the team’s name and the handwritten letters “S” and “F” underneath. On the right was “Marlboro,” written in tall, thin serifs. The third part was located at the bottom, and all the inscriptions were repeated. There, flying cursive handwriting read: “Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro.”
1999 – 2006
The company’s management decided to update the team’s logo, so all the elements were regrouped. The top rectangles were shifted to the right, and an expanded inscription, “Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro,” appeared on the left, executed in uppercase print letters with a large interval. The logo’s overall appearance became more elongated. The designers added two wide red stripes at the top and bottom, running the entire length, to emphasize this.
2007 – 2008
Due to the ban on tobacco advertising, the car company was forced to change its team logo. On the yellow shield, the black horse remained, and the word “Marlboro” was replaced by developers with a barcode corresponding to the product. Additionally, the logo featured a large abbreviation “SF” in a strict geometric shape, the slanted inscription “Scuderia Ferrari” in blue, and two boundary lines on a red background.
2009 – 2010
The developers fine-tuned the barcode, adding short stripes to encrypt it and avoid scandal, but the scandal still happened due to hidden tobacco advertising. At the same time, they replaced the red color with a more saturated shade of scarlet. Thanks to this, the black SF stood out even more due to the gradient and highlights.
2011 – 2017
The auto giant updated the racing team’s emblem because it was under constant pressure to ban tobacco advertising. As a result, instead of a barcode, a configuration identical to the Marlboro cigarette design appeared, with Phillip Morris continuing to serve as the sponsor. The developers raised a yellow triangular shield featuring a branded horse in the upper-left corner. The name was in the lower right corner, complemented by wide red stripes.
2018 – 2021
Although the Marlboro cigarette advertisement disappeared from the emblem, the Mission Winnow sign appeared on it, again encrypted by Phillip Morris, their manufacturer. Since there was no direct tobacco advertising, the racers accepted the new symbol, which was openly placed on the emblem. Now, on the left is the classic car brand’s symbol, and on the right is a complex configuration of arrows. Moreover, they emerge from negative space: red elements from white, and white from red. Such a design brings a touch of mystery and dynamics to the logo.
2018 – today
During this period, the professional racing team returned to its former logo, a shield with a striding horse and the designations “S” and “F” to its left and right. The black name was also preserved outside the central element. The stripe, consisting of the colors of the Italian national flag, was given a triangular shape.
Font and Colors
Ferrari used a non-standard font for its emblem. Later, it received the same name. There are also handwritten elements for the letters “S” and “F”. The color palette is stable: it has always consisted of yellow, black, red, white, and green. The latter periodically disappeared from the logo but returned after some time.
FAQ
What does the Ferrari symbol mean?
The Ferrari emblem has multiple meanings. The horse represents the power of cars and their unparalleled speed. The horse’s black color symbolizes mourning for the fallen pilot Francesco Baracca, whose plane bore a red stallion. The yellow background is a historical tribute to the Italian city of Modena, where Enzo Ferrari was born.
What do the letters S and J on the Ferrari logo mean?
The Ferrari (Scuderia) logo does not have a “J”; instead, it uses a capital “F.” Meanwhile, “S” and “F” are abbreviations of the racing division’s name. The Italian word “Scuderia” refers to organizations that train racehorses.
Who invented the Ferrari logo?
Enzo Ferrari began using the prancing horse as the Ferrari logo. According to one version, the legendary symbol was used to decorate the plane of the military hero Francesco Baracca. Others claim it was a common badge, not Francesco’s, but of the entire 912th squadron. There are also rumors that the pilot allegedly took the horse from Stuttgart’s coat of arms (stolen from a German ace) or was inspired by horse breeding, which his family was involved in.
What is the hidden meaning of the Ferrari logo?
The horse on the Ferrari logo represents the strength, power, and speed developed by the cars. Specifically, for the Scuderia Ferrari racing division, this symbol reflects the meaning of the word “Scuderia” (an organization that breeds racehorses). The yellow background is a tribute to the city of Modena, the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari, and the black color mourns the fallen ace Francesco Baracca.
What is the Ferrari emblem like?
The Ferrari (Scuderia) emblem consists of two parts. On the left is a yellow triangular shield, with red and green lines on top. In the shield’s center is a prancing black horse, and in the lower corner are the letters “S” and “F.” On the right side of the logo is a red-and-white ornament with an arrow from the Mission Winnow brand. This sign was added at the request of the tobacco company Phillip Morris.
Why did Ferrari choose its logo?
In one interview, Enzo Ferrari admitted he took this logo from the fuselage of Francesco Baracca’s plane. The ace’s parents suggested he use the legendary symbol, promising the prancing horse would bring luck. The car company’s founder met them when he was 23.
Where did the Ferrari symbol come from?
It can be stated unequivocally that the Ferrari symbol was taken from the fuselage of Francesco Baracca’s plane. But where this ace got it from, history remains silent. Perhaps Francesco stole it from a German pilot, and then it became the coat of arms of Stuttgart. Some believe that the same sign adorned the planes of the entire squadron because he was part of a cavalry regiment. Or maybe the horse is a tribute to the Baracca family’s horse breeding business.