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In 1963 Ford began negotiations with Enzo Ferrari to purchase the company, but Enzo cut off negotiations when he realized that he would likely not be allowed to remain as head of the Ferrari racing team. For Enzo the consumer automobile business was something he wasn't really interested in, his real passion was Formula One and selling cars was merely something he did to pay for it. It seems possible that a deal that allows Enzo to remain as head of a Formula One team (almost certainly his Formula One team, with independence from Ford) might have been acceptable. I'm not sure how likely that is though, as I don't know that much about Ford's motives for acquiring Ferrari.

Of course, historically the deal failed quite spectacularly, and Henry Ford II decided to go all out to beat Ferrari on the track. This led to Ford sponsoring the Shelby Cobra and Shelby Daytona racers and starting the Ford GT40 program. Possibly the largest change brought by Ford's entry into racing was the company's decision to fund the Cosworth DFV engine and then allow it to be offered for sale to anyone, allowing independent companies access to a top tier engine and making Cosworth into a major engine supplier among independent teams. Ironically enough, FIAT later purchased a significant share in Ferrari only a few years later, in 1969, but allowed Ferrari to remain as head of the racing team. It's possible that FIAT being an Italian firm might have helped matters as well, as in some stories the Ford-Ferrari deal is alleged to have broken down after Enzo felt offended by the Americans sent to look at his company.

Ford's entry into racing had some major changes on the history of automobile racing, so what would might have happened to Ford, Ferrari, Cosworth, and Formula One if Enzo had agreed to Ford's proposal?
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