KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 — Unlike most people with quirky names, Ahmad Ferrari Ahmad Fauzi is not embarrassed by his.

"I’m proud of it actually,” said the 35-year-old who is a key account manager at Maserati Malaysia owned by Naza Italia, which stopped having import and distribution rights for Ferrari last month.

"It’s a name that inspires me. I’m comfortable with it and everyone knows what a Ferrari is.”

It was his father Ahmad Fauzi Khalil, clearly a car enthusiast, who gave him his unique name.

"My dad said Ferrari is the No. 1 Italian car, the best of the best, so he hoped by naming me after the car, I would be the best of the best too,” explained Ferrari in an interview with Harian Metro.

Surprisingly, as a child he was never made fun of in school.

"When I first started going to school, I felt special because of my name but none of my teachers gave it any attention,” he said.

It was only when he was in Standard Six and Form One that he stood out for being named after one of the fastest cars in the world.

Even today, people are still surprised by his name and usually ask whether it’s his real moniker.

"I’m used to it,” he said. "My close friends call me Ferrari and at work they call me Ahmad.”

His name even gets attention overseas and when he was in Italy for work, many came up to tell him that his name carries a good reputation.

"I’m grateful for my name,” he said. "I’m the only one in my family named after a luxury car.”