1953 Ferrari 342 America Coupe Speciale news, pictures, and information

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Coupe
Designer: Pininfarina
Chassis Num: 0246AL
Engine Num: 0246AL

The Ferrari

Ferrari quickly adapted to changing conditions, both on the race courses and on the highways. The first important indicator of its flexibility - and further bolstering its well-known drive to win races - was the development by Aurelio Lampredi of a larger version of the original Colombo-designed Ferrari V-12. The short-term objective was to take advantage of new Grand Prix regulations permitting naturally aspired engines of up to 4.5 liters to compete with supercharged 1.5-liter engines like Ferrari's original V-12 and the Alfa Rome 158 Alfettas. Larger displacement also had advantages in reliability and performance in sports-racing cars and gran turismos, leveraging additional competitive and economic benefits from the time and effort invested in designing, building and developing Lampredi's engine.

Designed with the basic parameters of Colombo's V-12 to fit with minimal changes in Ferrari's existing chassis design, with a 60-degree angle between the cylinder banks and a single overhead camshaft on each bank, Lampredi's engine was, of necessity, longer. Piston stroke grew from 58.8 mm to only 68 mm but the bore of the design-capacity 4.5-liter engine increased to 84 mm from the Colombo's 68 mm bore in the 212 necessitating a longer cylinder block with 108 mm between cylinders, up from the 90 mm in the original Colombo engine.

Designed from inception with individual intake ports in the cylinder heads, the Lampredi engine utilized hairpin valve springs similar to the Columbo V-12 but had roller cam followers. The other major design difference between the two was Lampredi's solution to sealing the cylinders to the head. Instead of removable heads with gaskets, the new 'long-block' engine employed cylinder liners that screwed into the heads and required only a low-pressure oil-water seal at the liners' seat in the cast aluminum cylinder block. Routine service was more difficult, but it resolved a long-standing reliability issue with the Colombo engine.

Lampredi's new engine was successful in taking the Grand Prix championship from Alfa Romeo and its superior power and torque were quickly and successfully employed by Ferrari in sports cars competition. The first sports car to appear with the Lampredi engine followed almost immediately after the appearance of the 375 Grand Prix, at the Paris Salon in October 1950. This was the 340 America and it was built in a bewildering array of styles and specifications ranging from lighter-weight berlinettas and spyders to luxury coupes and cabriolets.

The dual-purpose 340 America's successors became specialists. The 340 Mexico and Mille Miglia were refined and developed specifically for competition. The very limited-production 342 America satisfied Ferrari's most exclusive clients' desires for a luxury gran turismo.

The 342 America
The 342 America was Ferrari's most exclusive model of the period and represents the first series of Speciales designed by Pinin Farina. In the two years it was produced only six were built. Each example was unique and enjoyed a significant destiny. After King Leopold of Belgium and Enzo Ferrari each reserved one for himself, chassis 0246 AL became the Geneva Show Car. The first 342 America was bodied by Vignale and the remaining five by Pinin Farina with the entire series producing three cabriolets and three coupes. The 342 America employed a long 2,650 mm wheelbase because of the 'long block' Lampredi engine's length. It also served to fulfill the model's intended purpose as a comfortable, powerful, grand touring automobile with room for occupants and reasonable luggage capacity. With the 342 Americas and, simultaneously, the 250 MM Berlinettas, Ferrari and Pinin Farina began a solid working relationship that has continued unabated to this day, 53 years later.

In addition to the longer wheelbase Ferrari widened the 342 America's track dimensions by 47 mm (1.85') at the front and by 7 mm (2.75') at the rear. A reinforced live rear axle with a 4-speed, now synchronized, gearbox was used. Standard power was modest, rated by Ferrari at some 200 brake horsepower with a pump-fuel friendly 8:1 compression ratio. 342 Americas could be ordered with special factory tuning, producing up to 300 brake horsepower. King Leopold's 342 America was one such example.

In a departure from Ferrari's exclusive practice of reserving even chassis numbers for its competition cars, Ferrari acknowledged the competition heritage of the Lampredi V-12 powered 342 America by conferring even numbers of all six of them, a convention that was not followed by the succeeding 240 Europa and 375 America models. The 'AL' (America Lungo) suffix attached to these few cars signified the long wheelbase chassis and all were built with left-hand drive. Interestingly, the model designation, 342, is the individual cylinder capacity of the America's 4,101 cc engine. The Ferrari 340, with exactly the same dimensions as the 342, is an aberration from convetional Ferrari model numbers at the time and added further significance to Ferrari's first series of Speciales, later to be followed by the Superamerica and Superfast models.

This Car
The 1953 Ferrari 342 America Pinin Farina coupe show here, 0246AL, was displayed at Geneva, and also apparently the Paris show, by Ferrari before being delivered to its first owner, Franco Fassio, in Genoa. Shortly thereafter it was acquired by Steve Briggs, a Californian. In 1958 it was acquired by William R. Peters and remained his proud possession for the next 31 years, garaged and used sparingly. Its next owner, Brad Hallock of San Francisco, acquired it in 1989 and quickly turned the car over to Tom Valerio for some minor work and cosmetic refurbishing in its present black livery with tan leather interior. 0246AL was sold into a significant Belgian collection in 1990 and is now being show in excellent cosmetic and mechanical condition after returning to the U.S. under new ownership in late 2004.

Sharing many design details with the Pinin Farina 342 America cabriolet built for King Leopold of Belgium, 0246Al is a handsome and distinctive example of the nascent collaboration between these two firms. Pinin Farina would soon become Ferrari's coachbuilder of choice and the two would successfully collaborate to implement mutually beneficial growth of Ferrari's production sports cars, cabriolets, berlinettas and coupes. Each of the five 342 Americas bodied by Pinin Farina are distinctively different in details and execution. 0246AL, for example, has double hood air intakes like the King Leopold cabriolet but executed in a more integrated fashion. The bumpers, often distracting afterthoughts on Italian coupes and berlinettas of the period, are tastefully integrated with the chrome banded oval egg-crate grille and chrome sill spears. The five-window greenhouse is both light and gives the driver excellent visibility.

This Ferrari 342 America coupe is an automobile of distinction and quality, one of the most exclusive Ferrari gran turismos ever built.

Source - Gooding & Company

View more photos
Coupe
Designer: Pininfarina
Chassis Num: 0246AL
Engine Num: 0246AL

Only six 342 Americas were made. One example was built for King Leopold III and another for Enzo Ferrari himself. This car is powered by a 4.1-liter, long block Lampredi V12 that was the basis of Ferrari's Grand Prix cars of the early 1950s. Although it was factory detuned for road use, these 342 Americas started Ferrari's tradition of occasionally building powerful, elegant road cars in very limited numbers for special clientele.

View more photos
Coupe
Designer: Pininfarina
Chassis Num: 0246AL
Engine Num: 0246AL

Ferrari's cars are among the most desirable of vehicles to own and drive, and are one of the ultimate status symbols of wealth in the world. Throughout its history, the company had been noted for its continued participation in racing, especially in Formula One, where it has enjoyed great success, especially during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, late 1990s, and 2000s.

The America Speciale is the first Ferrari model with a synchronized transmission and it featured the added convenience of being one of the first left hand drive Ferrari's. Only six 342 Americas were made.

The 342 America series is important from historical perspective and is among the most rare of all production Ferraris built to date. It utilizes a powerful, large displacement 4.1 liter, long block Lampredi V-12 that was the basis of Ferrari's Grand Prix cars of the early 1950's.

Although being detuned for road use by the factory, these 342 Americas started Ferrari's tradition of occasionally building powerful, elegant road cars in very limited numbers for special clientele.

1953 Ferrari models
Ferrari 166 MM
Ferrari 166/250 MM Abarth Spyder
Ferrari 212 Inter
Ferrari 250 Europa Pininfarina
Ferrari 250 MM
Ferrari 250 MM Vignale
Ferrari 340 MM Competition LeMans
Ferrari 340 MM Touring Spyder
Ferrari 340/375 MM Pinin Farina Berlinetta
Ferrari 375 America Vignale
Ferrari 375 MM Pinin Farina Spyder
Ferrari 375 MM Vignale Spyder