Ferrari undoubtably had a very successful first decade. Races were won, mechanical technology was innovative, and nothing was in the way of Ferrari. Still, having proven the worth of Gioacchino Colombo's V12 on the race track, Ferrari opted to start the 1950s with a new engine.

Enzo Ferrari's goals were to beat his former employer, Alfa Romeo, in open-wheel racing. That would be tough, as Alfa had substantial experience in wheel racing and had the powerful 159 Alfetta Grand Prix Car by his side. Its Colombo-designed 1.5L V8 pushed around 200 horsepower, and was not a laughing matter. Enzo Ferrari, however, was determined to overcome odds and had a trick up his sleeve. Seeing that with a supercharge 1.5L was the highest liters that racing regulations would permit, Enzo opted for a risker alternate solution: A naturally-aspirated 4.5L V12. Enzo Ferrari's plan worked, demolishing his rivalry from La Mans to Maranello.

Throughout the 1950s, street Ferraris were becoming higher in demand. They were being built to satisfy a rising demand in the car, after Ferrari had time and time proved itself as the crowning glory of F1. The steet Ferraris were being built with both types of powerplants, though halfway through the decade Colombo's design began to dominate and, with the refinements by other engineers, was adopted and used in Ferraris for decades to come.

During the same period of time, Ferraris meant for public roads were made as one-offs or in very small productions lines. Some of these models include the 1950 166S, the 1951 340 America, the 1951 212, and the 1951 225S. Some people in the designs of these magnificent classics were Vignale, Carrozzeria Ghia, Stabilimenti Farina, Boano, and a man that would become very important in the coming years: Sergio Scaglietti.

Increasingly by time passing, Ferrari design was being taken up by Pinin Farina (which became PininFarina in 1961). The first true series of a production Ferrari was the 1954 250 GTO Europa with a 3.0 liter V12. This magnificent piece of automobile history is now worth a pretty penny -- 5.5-10 million in 2007 depending on the condition.

There were still special-bodies Ferraris being created and most were penned by Pnin Farina. Often, they had on a longer 410 SA (Super America) chassis with the 4.9L Lampredi V12. This was a machine built to crush anything in its way. Both exotic and high performanced, this V12 pushed out 375 horsepower. Many Ferrari enthusiasts would argue that the greatest of all was Pinin Farina's finned Superfast 1, shown at the 1956 Paris auto show. Pinin Farina was perhaps one of the most influental designers to Ferrari's history, with footprints left in the 1950s all the way to present day.

In the mean time, Scaglietti began to experiment with 4 and 6-cylinder engines. Developing the 750 Monza, the 857 Monza, and the 860 Monza, Scaglietti had all he ever needed to come to the obvious conclusion: V12 was the way to go. He then developed the 250 Testa Rossa, which later won that years 24 Hour Le Mans race.

Come 1959, Ferrari production really hit its stride with the handsome (if not bone-shattering) 250 GT, which design is best seen as the open cabriolet version. During the mid-late 1950s, Pinin Farina came out with the 1954 375 Plus, Scaglietti came out with the 1957 500 TRC, the 1955 121 LM, and the 1955 410 sport. The emphasis change from special-bodies cars at the opening of the decade would set the scene for Ferrari in the 1960s.