A Car Life, by Larry Crane

The wizened old gentleman was wearing his signature sunglasses, but they were not opaque. His eyes were visible through the grey tint. The room filled with soft chatter and fell silent as Dr. Anchisi helped Enzo Ferrari into his chair.

The room remained silent…for several uncomfortable minutes. Ferrari (as he was universally known) spoke quietly in a small, almost tenor voice. Dr. Anchisi explained, “Mr. Ferrari wonders why no one will speak.”

I suggested that we were kind of in awe of Mr. Ferrari’s presence.

The singular deity of motorsport smiled (he understood English more than he let on) and spoke quietly again. Anchisi: “Mr. Ferrari says, ‘There is no need for that. I am just a country boy who loves cars, like most of you.’ “

Still silence. Ferrari speaks. Anchisi: “You may ask any questions you like of Mr. Ferrari and we will translate.”

Finally, dumbfounded by the moment, and unable to construct a question about the cars we have been playing with for two days, one of us asked who Mr. Ferrari’s favorite driver was.

“Nuvolari.” No translation required. He continued with a brief description of why that was so. It included a lifetime of friendship punctuated with periods of driving brilliance that were almost impossible to describe. Dr. Anchisi tried, using Ferrari’s words and grappling with the emotional phrases.

A few others asked questions that eventually included current levels of technology and the future of the marque that bore the octogenarian’s name. Then a prolonged moment of opportunity.

Ferrari began telling a long uninterrupted story, eyes flashing between us and Anchisi, and chuckling periodically. We smile with him. We are all spellbound by his joy in the telling, but only a few of us understand what is being said.

Ferrari suggested that Anchisi start something about our nation’s upcoming election that would result in a dialogue with the journalists. Anchisi told us that he asked who would be the next president of the United States. Then Ferrari told a story…

Through Anchisi: “When Mr. Stevenson (Adlai) was a candidate for the nomination for the presidency he came here on a Sunday with a lady and another customer. They visited the factory and were taken around by Mr. Ferrari to see the factory. And then Mr. Ferrari took them in his car to the highway where there were two cars waiting for them. So Mr. Stevenson told Mr. Ferrari, ‘Please thank Mr. Ferrari for his kindness, for allowing me to visit his factory.’ Mr. Ferrari said, ‘Well, look, I am Mr. Ferrari.’ Then Mr. Stevenson asked him, ‘Explain to me why, you, who has never been to the United States, are more famous in the States than I, who is living there?’ Then Mr. Ferrari said ‘I don’t know that, but then how did you get the nomination for the presidency?’ Stevenson said, ‘Now this is a totally different story and we don’t want to talk about it.’ “

Mr. Ferrari began laughing heartily and we all joined in. He had enjoyed the memory of that story as much as entertaining us with it.

Another question brought up a Ferrari favorite. Ferrari via Anchisi: “The story of the prancing horse is simple and fascinating. The prancing horse was painted on the body of the fighter of Francisco Baracca, the heroic flyer of Montello, the finest air warriors, who was shot down during the First World War. When in 1923 I won on the first track event in the Savio, The Savio was the name of the track, the ring (an open road circuit), I met count Enrico Baracca, the father of the hero, of the flyer, from that meeting there was another meeting with the mother, countess Paolina, Countess Paolina wanted to tell me, ‘Ferrari, put on your racing cars the prancing horse of my son. It will be the lucky sign for you.’ I still have the picture of Francisco Baracca with dedication to me by his parents, who gave me the prancing horse symbol. The prancing horse was and remains black. What I added was the yellow color background that is the Modena color.”

Our time was up. Half an hour to touch lives, to alter perceptions. A legendary curmudgeon who gloried in making the mighty wait for his audience had enjoyed entertaining a small group of journalists from his largest market. He was obviously able to assume the character necessary for his best advantage. We loved it.