Where was the young Enzo Ferrari’s passion for car racing consolidated, putting himself beyond the already immense desire to confront the mechanical industry? Probably October 5, 1919, when the then 21-year-old boarded a CMN (National Mechanical Constructions) to run the Parma-Poggio di Berceto. Finishing for more in fourth place.
Today, of course, Ferrari is a brand known all over the world thanks to the extraordinary cars produced for the road (and also for racing, despite the fainting of victories in F1). While CMN has become a so-called lost builder. At the time of the Parma-Berceto, CMN was very young: founded in the same year as that edition in Milan, it aimed to make a name for itself in motor racing and possibly in large-scale production.
CMN was set up on the ashes of the De Vecchi & C. house, which had gone through serious financial difficulties. However, the factories were modern and those who worked there could boast extensive experience. Since the plan included all-round races in Italy and then abroad, an exceptional testimonial was thought of: the famous Ugo Sivocci was hired, at the time one of the most prominent pilots. It was the latter who sensed the passion of the young Enzo, bringing him into CMN first as a test driver and then as a pilot.
The debut of the brand in motor racing took place with the participation in the Parma – Poggio di Berceto hillclimb, with two examples of the “15/20 HP” model in sporting equipment (with De Vecchi engines and numerous Isotta-Fraschini parts), entrusted to Sivocci and Ferrari. Later CMN also enrolled in the Targa Florio of 1919. Despite the factories in Milan, and the first good results in the race, the managers of the company decided the following year to change everything, moving to Pontedera.
In that place, in fact, the Officine Toscane company was based. CMN acquired it and brought all the machinery there. In Tuscany, the technicians tried to refine a 2297 cm³ 4-cylinder twin-block engine with side valves that seemed promising; in the following years he also brought to light the “25 HP”, equipped with a 6-cylinder in-line engine of almost 3 liters of displacement, and the “Type 7”, with a 4-cylinder 1940 cm³ overhead valve engine, capable of reach a maximum speed of 125 km / h.
The year 1923, with the launch of these two cars, was also the last for CMN: the management decided to stop production, frightened by the rising costs and poor budgets, in favor of the sale of the Pontedera plant to the Piaggio. The latter would immediately bring the machinery to build aircraft on site, starting another story. In the meantime, CMN had already entered the Ferrari legend, even though none of its mechanics could have imagined it at the time.