Brenda Vernor: the custodian of Enzo Ferrari’s secrets

I recently rewatched the 2019 banger featuring Matt Damon and Christian Bale – Ford vs Ferrari. This time around, I particularly wanted to pay more attention to the female cast.  

While we can agree that it’s a guys’ movie and women are more or less relegated to the margins, do you recall Enzo Ferrari’s chiselled personal assistant cum English translator from the infamous Ford deal fiasco? Given her brief stint on screen, her lines akin to fleeting whispers, and a role so marginal it almost flirted with oblivion, one might argue there was scant reason to etch her into memory.   

Yet, in the realm of reality, enter Brenda Vernor — Enzo Ferrari’s confidante and assistant for a quarter-century. When we embark on historical retrospection, it’s a tendency to fixate on the luminaries, often sidelining the unsung heroes who were the linchpins of their daily schemes. These individuals, intimately tethered to the source, stand as silent custodians witnessing the very genesis of history, their roles often more profound than the protagonists.  

Brenda gracefully assumed a supporting role in both the cinematic narrative and the real-life drama of Enzo Ferrari. It’s forgivable if the celluloid rendition failed to etch her into your memory, given the overshadowing presence of Ferrari’s prodigious legacy. Yet, she wasn’t just a side character; she was the secret sauce in Ferrari’s daily grind. Come to think of it, to label her as the custodian of Ferrari’s life might not be an overreach.  

Surrounded by 199 men, Brenda emerged as the solitary woman during what was considered the best period of the company. Perhaps it was her British wit, tenacity, and fiery demeanour that not only secured her place at Scuderia but also cultivated intimate relationships with drivers and the “Old Man” Ferrari himself.  

 Despite being amid the glamorous spotlight, her encounters with legendary drivers and the patriarch were far from extraordinary. She wasn’t a starry-eyed spectator but a multi-hyphenated woman, holding her ground with remarkable poise. Having more than rubbed shoulders with iconic figures from the 20th-century racing pantheon — Nikki Lauda, Clay Regazzoni, Sylvester Stallone, Paul Newman, and Steve McQueen — Vernor affirmed that beneath their starry personas, these legends were, off the track, just ordinary individuals with very ordinary lives. 

At a sprightly 94, Brenda Vernor remains as sharp as a knife. She recalls the intricacies of Enzo Ferrari’s life with such clarity that it’s as if his history is her own. From Enzo’s infamous dalliances to his peculiar fear of flying, and even his aversion to elevators, Brenda witnessed it all firsthand and chronicled every nuance. Her account stands as a quasi-history of Ferrari seen through the discerning eyes of the only woman who had a ringside view of the action both on and off the track. 

In her career, she’s spilled the beans on a plethora of bums, both literal and metaphorical, and many of these juicy tales have found their way into her book, aptly titled ‘My Boys.’ If you watch her recent interviews, you’ll notice Vernor wearing a stately string of pearls around her neck and an equally stately string of caustic remarks on her tongue — layered with sarcasm, irony, innuendo, puns, and a generous dollop of British wit.  

Now, the burning question: how did the Croydon-born Brenda Vernor end up crossing paths with the legend – Enzo Ferrari? 

Brenda’s Italian escapade began with a seemingly casual suggestion from a friend she met during a holiday in the early 1960s — an English girl married to the manager of the Palace Hotel in Modena. When she proposed her to extend the stay, Brenda’s initial response was a dismissive ‘You must be nuts.’ Little did she know that playful banter would turn into reality — she decided to stay.  

In 1962, she assumed the role of an English teacher at a private school, all the while juggling an intriguing second act as the evening assistant and romantic interest of Mike Parkes, Ferrari’s chief development engineer and works driver. Brenda’s dual life unfolded as she taught during the day and worked for Mike in the evenings — a setup that lasted an impressive 16 years. Fate played its hand when Mike Parkes, who resided in the same Modena house as Lina Lardi and her son Piero Lardi Ferrari, introduced Brenda to the enigmatic ‘old man.’  

Interestingly, it was through her English lessons that Brenda first encountered a 16-year-old Piero Lardi Ferrari, who would later become her boss. Enzo Ferrari, foreseeing potential conflicts with Mike, subtly suggested that if Mike ever left, he’d like Brenda to work for him. Circumstances took a sombre turn when Mike tragically passed away in a road accident. Approximately two months later, in July ’78, Ferrari called her to ask if she’d like to work for him, primarily to do his translations. And that’s how it happened. 

According to Brenda she never said ‘no’ to the Old Man and he never uttered a ‘thank you,’ his appreciation manifested in more profound ways. She emphasised that behind the formidable facade lay a man with a colossal heart, quietly extending help to people without them even realising it. This was a testament to his nuanced character, including a penchant for Glen Grant whisky specially imported from Britain, the ritual of track visits on Saturdays, and his unbridled love for the 330 GTC.   

But Enzo’s discerning eye, known for scrutinising the minutest details in cars, extended well beyond it and sometimes included even his employees’ sartorial choices. Enzo Ferrari was a man who was revered and feared in equal measure; but want to guess who the titan of the track was most afraid of? His mama. Brenda amusingly recalls, “He’d say, ‘Yes, mama!’ and stand to attention.” 

On being asked about how she made it amidst all the men and with the old man himself, Vernor cheekily recounted “I knew how to treat them, and I knew how to be treated.” In a world dominated by testosterone, she stood her ground, advocating for herself when right. Respect wasn’t handed; she earned it by going above and beyond her job profile to make Ferrari and all its members a part of her private world. And if someone veered off course? Well, Brenda had a knack for putting them right back in their place. 

However, when it comes to Enzo’s vague wartime life, his unclear political affiliations, and the firm’s opaque finances, Brenda faithfully sticks to her monkey philosophy: hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. If one is to speculate, this philosophy could very well be the reason why Brenda never said anything about the controversies surrounding Ferrari despite her being very tightly wound in the inner workings of the company and Enzo himself. You get the sense that if a rival team had tied her up and interrogated her for secrets, they’d have got nothing and perhaps that is the reason why her relationship with Enzo Ferrari continues well beyond his life.