1956 Ferrari 410 Superamerica

The Ferrari 410 Superamerica was unveiled in 1955 and was the successor of the 375 America. It continued the trend of being an exclusive vehicle with fashionable styling, impressive power, exhilarating performance, and a steep price tag. It was given a strengthened chassis, an improved synchromesh gearbox, and a modern coil-spring front suspension, making it a more refined Grand Touring automobile than its predecessor. Power was from a 4.9-liter Lampredi V-12 version found in the Ferrari 375 Plus and based on a single-plug 410 S powerplant. Even though it was a de-tuned version, it offered 340 horsepower which gave it a top speed of nearly 150 mph, helping it secure the title of being the fastest road car of its day.

Pinin Farina built the majority of the bodies for the 410 SA; a few received coachwork by Boano and Ghia. The 2800mm wheelbase was 200mm longer than the smaller Ferrari models, adding to the interior room and providing a more comfortable environment for its occupants.

The 410 Superamerica was among the most expensive vehicles of the era with the New York Auto Show car priced at $16,800, making it twice as expensive as the Mercedes-Benz 300SL 'Gullwing' exhibited by Max Hoffman.

The first SuperAmerica was the 342 first shown in 1952 and clothed with Touring coachwork. Its long block engine was sourced from the 340 America sports racer while its chassis had grown for greater interior comfort. The 342 America was an exclusive and luxurious grand tourer with just six examples built. Most of the coachwork was done by Pinin Farin and this was the first time the Turin-based coachbuilder clothed a Ferrari. The 375 America followed in 1953 and was first shown at the Paris Motorshow. Its 4.5-liter engine was shared with the company's Formula 1 cars and earned it the title of 'fastest luxury car in the world.' Production lasted approximately two years with around ten examples built during that time. Again, Pinin Farina was responsible for the majority of the coachwork.

When the 400 SuperAmerica was introduced in Brussels in 1960, it came equipped with a four-liter version of Colombo's 'short block' V12 engine. The final edition of the SuperAmerica series arrived in 1964 and was called the 500 Superfast. Its engine was a five-liter short-block V12.

The 410 Superamerica was the final of the 'America/Superamerica/Superfast' series to use the Lampredi V12 engine, an engine that had defined the character, performance, and sound of many great Ferraris during the 1950s. Just like its sibling, it was exclusive, expensive, powerful, and luxurious.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2019