STORY OF THE DAY: Enzo Ferrari’s first recorded competition finish

On 5 October 1919, Enzo Ferrari drove the number 29 C.M.N. 15/20 HP in the Parma–Poggio di Berceto hill climb, finishing fourth in his class. The Italian road event marked one of his earliest appearances as a competition driver, years before his name became inseparable from the cars produced at Maranello.

The result was modest but historically significant. Ferrari was still establishing himself in motor racing, and the demanding climb offered valuable experience on the rough, exposed roads typical of the period. Merely completing such an event required mechanical sympathy, stamina and careful judgment.

C.M.N., or Costruzioni Meccaniche Nazionali, produced automobiles in Milan using components derived from wartime manufacturing. The 15/20 HP was a conventional front-engined touring car adapted for competition rather than a purpose-built racing machine, reflecting the improvised character of postwar Italian motorsport.

Enzo Ferrari was born in Modena in 1898 and began racing after the First World War. He later drove for Alfa Romeo, founded Scuderia Ferrari in 1929 and established Ferrari as a manufacturer in 1947. The Parma–Poggio di Berceto result belongs to the little-recorded opening chapter of that extraordinary career.