La storia del Quadrifoglio et Ferrari
Discussion
I knew part of the story behind the Quadrifoglio (Alfa Romeo's Four Leaf Clover), but this is a great quick read and fills some gaps.
La storia del Quadrifoglio et Ferrari said:
Sometime in 1919 at his local watering hole Vittorio Emanuele, Enzo Ferrari began talking to Ugo Sivocci, who at the time was working with the small automaker CMN. The two made fast friends, and over subsequent months the poor Enzo Ferrari often dined at Sivocci's home. As soon as Ugo Sivocci had an opening for his new friend, he offered it, a move that would forever alter the course of automotive history: it was Sivocci who first put Enzo Ferrari behind the wheel of a racing car!
Together, they devised novel ways of testing their machines. For the 10th Targa Florio, they drove their cars to the start line using public roads, and at one point at night while driving through the sparsely populated Italian countryside the pair were attacked by a pack of wolves!
When Enzo Ferrari was hired by Alfa Romeo, he extended the same favor to his friend Ugo Sivocci, who soon followed him to the more prestigious marque. Together with Ferrari, they formed two of the four slots on Alfa Romeo’s first factory racing team—the other two drivers were Giuseppe Campari and Alberto Ascari. Of the four, Sivocci was quick but often not able to secure victory, earning him the reputation as a driver who never had Lady Fortune on his side.
The 1923 Targa Florio would be different, however, and Sivocci was so fed up of his bad luck that he decided to add a symbol of luck to his Alfa Romeo racing car: a four-leaf clover - the Quadrifoglio.
Sivocci won the 1923 Targa Florio—and, apart from his talent behind the wheel, it seemed as though the Quadrifoglio helped win him the race.
Sadly, the Quadrifoglio played it’s part in Sivocci’s death, he died later that year during practice for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza—the now well-known symbol hadn’t yet been painted on his Alfa Romeo P1 race car. His death was recognized in a symbolic change to the Quadrifoglio: Before his death, the Quadrifoglio sat inside a white diamond, each point said to represent each of the Alfa Romeo four factory drivers.
When Sivocci died, one of the points was removed as a mark of respect, creating the Quadrifoglio triangle emblem that continues to this day. Now used as a symbolic link to Alfa Romeo’s rich racing heritage, the four-leaf clover can be seen on sportiest models of the company’s cars—a small reminder of the friendship that forever changed the lives of Enzo Ferrari and Ugo Sivocci.
The latest car to bear the insignia takes the story full circle, the Giulia Quadrifoglio saloon car, designed brand new from the ground up has significant engineering input from Ferrari, designing the engine, suspension and chassis dynamics. Journalists and owners call this car the first four-door Ferrari. Under this Quadrifoglio badge, Ugo and Enzo are reunited.
Together, they devised novel ways of testing their machines. For the 10th Targa Florio, they drove their cars to the start line using public roads, and at one point at night while driving through the sparsely populated Italian countryside the pair were attacked by a pack of wolves!
When Enzo Ferrari was hired by Alfa Romeo, he extended the same favor to his friend Ugo Sivocci, who soon followed him to the more prestigious marque. Together with Ferrari, they formed two of the four slots on Alfa Romeo’s first factory racing team—the other two drivers were Giuseppe Campari and Alberto Ascari. Of the four, Sivocci was quick but often not able to secure victory, earning him the reputation as a driver who never had Lady Fortune on his side.
The 1923 Targa Florio would be different, however, and Sivocci was so fed up of his bad luck that he decided to add a symbol of luck to his Alfa Romeo racing car: a four-leaf clover - the Quadrifoglio.
Sivocci won the 1923 Targa Florio—and, apart from his talent behind the wheel, it seemed as though the Quadrifoglio helped win him the race.
Sadly, the Quadrifoglio played it’s part in Sivocci’s death, he died later that year during practice for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza—the now well-known symbol hadn’t yet been painted on his Alfa Romeo P1 race car. His death was recognized in a symbolic change to the Quadrifoglio: Before his death, the Quadrifoglio sat inside a white diamond, each point said to represent each of the Alfa Romeo four factory drivers.
When Sivocci died, one of the points was removed as a mark of respect, creating the Quadrifoglio triangle emblem that continues to this day. Now used as a symbolic link to Alfa Romeo’s rich racing heritage, the four-leaf clover can be seen on sportiest models of the company’s cars—a small reminder of the friendship that forever changed the lives of Enzo Ferrari and Ugo Sivocci.
The latest car to bear the insignia takes the story full circle, the Giulia Quadrifoglio saloon car, designed brand new from the ground up has significant engineering input from Ferrari, designing the engine, suspension and chassis dynamics. Journalists and owners call this car the first four-door Ferrari. Under this Quadrifoglio badge, Ugo and Enzo are reunited.
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