Re: prancing horses

[AKress1948@domain.elided]

In Griffith Borgeson's "The Alfa Romeo Tradition" gives some info, but not 
much about the Baracca emblem.  On June 17, 1923, Ferrari (by now an alfa 
team member) entered an RL TF in a new race.. the Circuito del Savio, near 
Ravenna.  Apparently a nothing little race that he entered mostly because it 
was close by his "neighborhood".  it was the first win of his career, and 
according to Ferrari, this was when he met the count & countess Baracca "who 
he said suggested that he use the prancing colt emblem of their famous 
fighter pilot son."

Other sources suggest that the emblem was not the Baracca's to give.  The 
design was the emblem of Baracca's squadron.  According to pinninfarina, 
ferrari's brother Alfredo met his death in service to the same squadron in 
WWI.  Baracca's mother suggested that Ferrari adopt the symbol as a sign of 
good luck (I can't imagine why this woudl be considered a sign of good luck).
Ferrari claimed to have a letter from the family "in which they entrust the 
horse to me".  After he reversed the direction the horse faced, altered the 
fine detail, and changed the background from white to yellow, he adopted the 
emblem as his own.

alfa romeo ben berry berry good to enzo.
andy

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