We all have the image that car companies are proprietary with their engines, and while they most certainly do not share their research or the nitty gritty of the construction process, they do have agreements with other manufacturers that allow them to share all kinds of tech and products to ensure efficiency. One of the companies that we might not expect to do this is Ferrari, but they are actually quite generous with their agreements, especially in the world of racing, where there are so many variables that the engine, while important, is not the only defining factor.
Ferrari has been in the world of racing since 1929 as a racing team called Scuderia Ferrari, which was actually working under Alfa Romeo. They took their wins and their experience to the streets in 1940, when Enzo Ferrari, first owner of the company, finally managed to release the first car with a Ferrari engine to the regular market. From then on, the company became a dominant force in motorsports and built a reputation as one of the most elite supercar manufacturers in the world that still lasts today.
But their technology is made to be shared. They have created over the years plenty of high-performance engines with both racing teams and road car manufacturers as partners or as beneficiaries of the tech, and that has allowed for a level of industry cooperation and innovation that most people not in the auto world would not expect.
The Ferrari engines that have gone on to be great in other auto manufacturers cars
A good example of a long standing relationship is Sauber Racing, which has had Ferrari engines powering its cars since 1997. But while a three decade relationship is impressive, they are not the only ones. Haas Racing, one of the more recognizable teams in the paddock, has been running with Ferrari engines as well and Cadillac is stepping into Formula 1 for the first time in 2026, and they will be doing it with a Ferrari engine under the hood as well.
But it is not just about racing engines, after all, there are a lot more cars in the road than in a race. If you like classic cars with good performance, the Lancia Stratos HF is for you, as back in the 1970s, Lancia was looking into getting into for rally racing and needed an engine that could keep up with the demands of the sport. Ferrari stepped in with their Dino V6, and the result was legendary. The Stratos went on to become not only incredibly successful in rally racing but also one of the most iconic and sought-after rally cars ever made.
Perhaps a more unexpected collaboration happened with direct competitor Maserati. When the company dropped the ENZO, the automotive world took notice and Maserati was so impressed with what Ferrari had done, that they decided to borrow the 6.0-liter V12 engine for their own supercar, the MC12. It was adapted to the specs of the car and the preferences of the company, but it was unmistakably Ferrari. The partnership worked so well that they have continued to use their engines from 2002 all the way through 2020.
If supercars are not your thing, the Fiat Dino is also a good collaboration and this time it was born out of Ferraris’ need to produce at least 500 units of its 2.0-liter V6 to qualify for Formula 2 racing. Since Fiat had a large production capacity, they stepped in to help, and as a tradeoff the Fiat Dino, a car built by Fiat but powered by a Ferrari engine was created. It was a great car and it led to an even greater circumstance, Fiat buying a 50% stake in Ferrari in 1969.