After all, Emilia-Romagna is also known as the Motor Valley, home of top-quality brands in the automotive industry, such as Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and Ducati.

Our region in itself was named after the Via Aemilia, a road, still used nowadays, created by the Romans for connecting the western provinces with the coast and it was used mainly by merchants and tropes for trading and defensive purposes. The via Emilia was named after General Marco Emilio Lepido, founder of many important cities along this road, such as Reggio Emilia.

Here’s a brief recap of the main automotive companies that have made the history of the Motor Valley. You’ll find listed some bits of their history and some fun facts related to them.

Ferrari

The car company “Ferrari” was founded in Maranello (Modena) in 1947 by Enzo Anselmo Ferrari, an entrepreneur, engineer and Italian racing driver. Ferrari soon became one of the most successful Formula 1 team and famous car companies ever.

Enzo Ferrari spent his childhood in Maranello, in the same house that now has become a museum. His first encounter with racing occurred at age of 10 when Mr Alfredo took him to Bologna to attend a car race. Little Enzo, who had already shown an interest in mechanics, was very impressed.

Ferrari is living another revival season with the cinema industry. Hollywood has pointed its reflectors on the Motor Valley, transforming the cities of Reggio Emilia and Modena into vast movie sets, where the American director Micheal Mann is shooting a bio-film about the life’s Enzo Ferrari. The movie starring Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz and Patrick Dempsey will be released in 2023.

Also, all Ferrari fans should add to their bucket list an unforgettable driving experience! Motorsport Maranello offers the opportunity to drive a Ferrari on the roads of Maranello, or along the hairpin bends of the Modena Apennines. There are various route options, starting from 10 to 120 km. for those who want to try extreme speed, as a real racer, there are also Test Drives on-track.

Maserati 

In 1914, in a small garage in Bologna’s centre, Alfieri, Ettore and Ernesto Maserati founded the Officine Alfieri Maserati, which property was given to Adolfo Ors in 1937, who soon moved the company to Modena. The story of the Maserati brothers traces as well the first twenty years of the Modena car manufacturer. From their initial success in the racing world to the first, triumphant, entry into the automotive industry elite. 

Italy is home to the best motoring attractions, offering travellers opportunities to experience the heritage and tech evolution of some of the world-wide known automotive brands. At the Maserati plants in Modena, travellers by taking a tour can learn about the skills involved in producing the most stylish sports cars. Lasting about an hour and thirty minutes, the exclusive factory tour includes a welcome reception and historical introduction in the recently renovated showrooms prior to a guided walk around the assembly line. Afterwards, there is the opportunity to view the cars and browse through the Maserati store.

Lamborghini

Born on April 28th 1916, in Renazzo in the province of Ferrara, from a farmers’ family, Ferruccio Elio Arturo Lamborghini preferred mechanics over working in the fields. Ferruccio soon transformed his father’s stables into a sort of workshop. The young Ferruccio spent whole days creating and repairing objects for domestic and agricultural use. 

After the war, a new air of freedom and initiative was rife in Italy. Agriculture – for centuries the greatest source of income in Italy – was in strong crisis, but these difficulties allowed Ferruccio to come up with a great idea, glimpsing a new market for the mechanization of large-scale agriculture. The demands from the agricultural sector, combined with the experience acquired by Ferruccio in repairs, led him to pursue a career as an entrepreneur in the production of tractors.

His name began to be known all over the world. He became wealthy and succeeded in crowning one of his greatest dreams: buying a Ferrari. His expectations, however, were not exceeded. Ferruccio was not satisfied with the performance of his new car, so he decided to talk about it directly with Enzo Ferrari, leading the two of them into a challenge. Ferruccio announced his intention to start building cars. 

In May 1963 he founded the Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini company, and its first car was presented first in Turin and then at the Geneva Motor Show. The enthralling enthusiasm of Lamborghini brought its mechanics and engineers to design ever more amazing and cutting-edge cars, transforming the company into one of the first Italian manufacturers of Granturismo.