Ferrari: the luxury cars, the Formula One team and Enzo Ferrari, the man behind

At Modena’s Enzo Ferrari Museum, I am trying to follow a film on a huge screen explaining the history of one of the world’s most iconic carmakers.

Although the footage of red Ferraris speeding around race tracks is clear enough, the accompanying voice-over is regularly interrupted by exclamations, in a variety of accents and languages, from other visitors, as they fawn over an array of vehicles artfully arranged nearby.

If any more proof were needed, the multilingual hubbub underscores the fact that Ferrari’s fan base is global and fervent. And for these enthusiasts, Modena is the promised land.

Arguably the world’s most famous supercar brand, Ferrari was founded in this northern Italian city in 1929 by Enzo Ferrari.

About 100km (60 miles) north of the tourist hub of Florence, Modena is more than just the spiritual home of Ferrari; it has two museums dedicated to the marque.

By visiting both museums, I learn about Ferrari’s extraordinary evolution. What began as a tiny racing car company has snowballed into a behemoth worth more than US$50 billion.

The first venture Enzo Ferrari founded – Scuderia Ferrari – now operates the most successful team in Formula One, the world’s richest car racing competition. Ferrari also designs and manufactures luxury cars, and produces upmarket clothing and accessories.

Home to fewer than 200,000 people and more than 2,000 years old, Modena would probably receive few tourists if it were not for the lure of its two Ferrari museums. Not because it’s an unappealing city, with its maze of weathered streets in its historical centre, stately churches, cafe-lined piazzas and many art galleries and museums, but rather because it competes for tourists’ attention with nearby Milan, Venice, Florence and Verona.

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO auctioned for US$51.7 million in New York

Set in 1957, the biopic focuses on Enzo Ferrari as he processes his son’s recent death while preparing his company’s drivers to try to win the prestigious Mille Miglia road race.

Its last scene depicts the finale of that event. There appears to be no mention of this at the Enzo Ferrari Museum. This is not surprising, as the place is very much a celebration of the great man’s life and legacy.

Just north of downtown Modena, the museum is simultaneously traditional and cutting edge, like Ferrari itself. It is housed in two contrasting structures – the modest, early 1900s home and workshop of the Ferrari family, and a sleek, glass-fronted exhibition hall.

The former brims with photos of Enzo, an assortment of old Ferrari engines and information boards that provide a timeline of his life.