Piero Ferrari inherited the distinctive eyes of his late father, Enzo, but at least Piero radiates a sense of inner calm and happiness. Enzo was never seen without his sunglasses after the untimely death of his first son, Alfredo, also known as Dino, in 1956. Devastated, he famously wrote in his diary - using his trademark purple ink - “the match is lost”. On a personal level, Enzo Ferrari endured much tragedy, but the company that bears his name is going from strength to strength.

In 1996, 3,351 Ferraris were sold worldwide, netting the company €486.6million in sales and an operating profit of €5.4million. According to figures released this week, last year there were 6,465 new car sales, turnover stood at €1.67billion (£1.24billion) and profits reached €266million, despite the fall in the value of the dollar - a currency in which a third of Ferrari's sales are made.

Massimo Fedeli, managing director of Ferrari GB, said that 2007 had been a record year for the British division as well as the company as a whole.

“We sold just 128 cars in the UK during 1992,” Mr Tedeli said. “In '97 that rose to 410 and ten years later we sold 699 Ferraris in 12 months.”

He said that the order books were full for “between 12 months and three years”, depending on the model.

The sales figures are minute by most manufacturers' standards, but they do help to explain the undying allure of Ferrari as a brand: exclusivity. Despite the relatively low sales volumes, Mr Fedeli said that the British market was the third most important to the company, after the United States and Germany.

“In many respects Britain is Ferrari's most important territory,” he said. “It's the world's leading financial centre and is probably the most important market from both a commercial and a media point of view. To succeed, we need to understand the British consumer, because you're very demanding, with the highest expectations when it comes to sales and service.

“The UK is at the very heart of worldwide opinion-making, so we as a company can learn a lot simply by being here. It's home to the best motoring, business and lifestyle media anywhere and people all around the world respect what they read in British publications.”

Mr Fedeli is upbeat about the prospects for the luxury car market over the next 18 months, and the UK's contribution to the company's performance: “Britain will remain a point of reference for the rest of the world. It attracts wealth and rich people come here to spend their money, so no matter what happens with the economy, I believe the UK market will remain strong for brands like ours.”

The blinkers are off when it comes to ways in which to maximise profits. Every Maserati, for instance, has its engine built and its body shell constructed and painted by Ferrari. The recently introduced “Classiche” scheme is another example of how the company is diversifying to meet consumer demands.

“In the UK alone, there are over 9,000 Ferraris registered and these all need to be maintained,” Mr Fedeli said. “Britain is home to the world's second-highest amount of classic Ferraris, which can now be restored at the factory and certified as being to an original standard, protecting residual values and assisting auctioneers by guaranteeing authenticity.”

This facility suggests that Ferrari is in tune with its illustrious past and that the Maranello factory has the ability - if not the desire - to build new examples of any car that it has ever produced due to its expertise and the very detailed records that have been preserved over the decades.

Some of the most beautiful and exciting cars ever made have been adorned by the famous prancing horse symbol and Ferrari is a worldwide symbol of wealth and success - quite at odds with the reason that Enzo founded Scuderia Ferrari in 1929.

Over the years he famously derided his company's road cars as being simply a means for paying to go racing - his true passion.

One might assume that Enzo (who would be 111 this year) would frown upon the company's marketing strategies. but Piero disagrees. “My father would be very proud of where Ferrari is today,” he said. Piero owns 10 per cent of the company; Fiat holds 85 per cent and Abu Dhabi's state-owned Mubadala Development Company owns the remaining 5 per cent.

Securing its fifteenth Formula One constructors' championship in 2007 rounded off the best year Ferrari that has enjoyed, and the company appears to be stepping up a gear.

With the rapid expansion of its production facilities and the looming announcement of a more compact and affordable model range that harks back to the legendary Dino 246GT of the 1970s, it would appear that Ferrari's star continues to rise.

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