Italians are renowned for their love of flashy colors, speed, and being the center of attention.  Small wonder then that some of the most coveted, sexy, and midlife-crisis-worthy sports cars are of Italian design.  The auto industry in Italy has as passionate, dramatic, and triumphant a history as the country itself, intriguing and infatuating millions of aficionados worldwide.  From the sensible yet alluring Fiat Panda, formerly voted European Car of the Year for its safety features and simple design, to the lithe and aggressive Maserati Bora, build for speed and style and capable of hitting over 175 mph, Italian auto manufacturers have not only designed the car for every individual’s needs, but they have perfected it.

The Ferrari is the world's most famous brand of Italian luxury car.

The Ferrari is the world’s most famous brand of Italian luxury car.

The name that tops all the lists in terms of aesthetics and luxury is Ferrari, a brand that began as a racecar manufacturer and since then has become one of the most exclusive and dynamic cars in the world.  Whether you prefer the more vintage designs, such as the Ferrari 308 GTB of Magnum P.I. fame, with its V8 mid-engine and four valves per cylinder, or its more modern incarnations, such as the 458 Spider, you cannot deny the Ferrari’s status as paragon of speed and opulence.

The Ferrari legacy began in 1938 when Enzo Ferrari, a producer and driver of racecars, joined up with the motor racing department of Alfa Romeo cars.  While Alfa Romeo was seized by Mussolini’s fascist regime to aid the war effort, the Ferrari division was still small enough to operate independently even during war times.  After the Axis’s defeat, Ferrari moved to Maranello, Italy and grew as it catered to a country eager to indulge in luxury and excess after their defeat.  Classic designs of the 60’s, such as the Ferrari GTO, combined looks and speed with a mystic rarity—only 36 of this model were built, urging auto-lovers to clamor for it all the more.

The Ferrari F40 is agreed to be Enzo Ferrari's greatest achievement.

The Ferrari F40 is agreed to be Enzo Ferrari’s greatest achievement.

In 1969, when Fiat bought 50% of Ferrari, the company saw a boom in investment money, giving them the opportunity to experiment with providing new models more powerful engines and sleeker designs—the age of the supercar had begun.  In 1988, Ferrari’s 40th anniversary, Enzo Ferrari released what is possibly the most famous supercar of all time, the Ferrari F40.  It originally sold at $400,000 (which would be more than double that in today’s currency,) but buyers have paid up to $1.6 million for one of only 1,315 models built.  With a perfectly aerodynamic frame and light weight of only 2,425 lbs, the Ferrari F40 can go from 0 to 120 mph in 11 seconds.

Enzo Ferrari died later that year, adding to the F40’s legendary status among Italian sports cars.  It has been hailed, and on Top Gear no less, as “the greatest supercar the world had ever seen,” and indisputably named one of the most beautiful cars ever made.  Currently, with environmental friendliness taking precedence over speed and power in the auto industry, Ferrari is looking into producing hybrids, and in 2008 they unveiled an F430 Spider that ran on biofuel.  Still, with Italy’s penchant for combining art with every aspect of daily life, whatever cars Ferrari creates are sure to remain works of art wheels: timeless masterpieces that change the lives of everyone who comes in contact with them.