The late Enzo Ferrari, the formidable and brilliant race car driver turned automotive legend, was also a shrewd businessman when he launched his sports car company 71 years ago. His philosophy was to always build one less car than the company could sell. Ferrari, who died in 1988 at age 90, once said, “The Ferrari is a dream – people dream of owning this special vehicle and for most people it will remain a dream apart from those lucky few.”

That exclusivity has been part of the aura surrounding Ferrari since the 125 S, the first car built under the Ferrari marquee, debuted in 1947, said Luca Del Monte, author of “Enzo Ferrari: Power, Politics and the Making of an Automotive Empire” and the former head of Ferrari’s North American press office.