1959 Ferrari 400 Superamerica

Ferrari quickly established a reputation in the immediate post-World War II era as a world-class builder of sports racing cars. Although its priority was on racing, road-going vehicles soon became a necessity to fuel its passion, and soon it became renowned as the builder of the world's best grand touring cars for the road. As the decade progressed, the Ferrari GT evolved, often benefitting from the lessons learned from racing including design and technology advancements, and continued to occupy the top-shelf of the luxury touring car segment. The list includes the 342 and 375 Americas and the 410 Superamerica, and although they were stunning in design, they were known as heavy and unforgiving to drive. Ferrari resolved these issues with the unveiling of the latest evolution of the top-of-the-range Gran Turismo at the 1960 Brussels Motor Show, dubbed the 400 Superamerica. Unveiled in cabriolet form, it used the 'Superamerica' moniker of the outgoing 410 series but shared little else with its predecessor. Differing from regular Ferrari practice, the Superamerica's '400' designation stood not for each cylinder's swept volume but instead indicated roughly 1/10th of the 400 Superamerica's 4.0-liter capacity and its factory-claimed 400 hp rating. Its actual output was more accurately quoted at 320 horsepower which was still enough to earn it the title as the fastest road car of its day with a top speed of nearly 160 mph.

The chassis of the 400 SA was based largely on the well-developed 250 Series and endowed with a number of mechanical refinements, including telescopic shock absorbers, a fully synchronized gearbox with overdrive (similar to the 250 GTs), and four-wheel Dunlop disc brakes. The most significant changes, however, were to the engine, and while the early 'America' models had all used the Lampredi long-block, Ferrari ceased production of the motor in 1959. For the newest Superamerica, a much larger variation of the Colombo V-12 provided the power. With a four-liter displacement and topped with three Weber carburetors, the engine delivered as much power as the outgoing 410 Superamerica and further benefitted from improved low-RPM torque and ease of maintenance. The transmission used stronger gears to cope with the more powerful engine.

In 1960 and 1961, Pininfarina's Superfast II show car and the 250 GT Sperimentale competition car, inspired a unique line of coach-built bodies for the 400 Superamerica chassis. Many of the features found on the one-off Pininfarina show cars were incorporated into Pininfarina's Coupe Aerodinamico, each handcrafted to individual tastes and all benefitting from elegant proportions. They had a large greenhouse, fluid lines, and a tapered tail section with a sumptuous interior and seats upholstered in Connolly leather hides. There was a spacious luggage platform, an ample selection of auxiliary gauges to monitor the vehicle's status, and a fluted headliner.

Although officially introduced in Brussels, the first 400 Superamerica built was 1517 SA, built in 1959 for Gianni Agnelli who desired a special and unique Ferrari for his personal use. What he received was the company's most expensive and exclusive road-going vehicle at the time that offered the prestige and performance that only a few could afford. Although a 400 SuperAmerica, it used a slightly longer wheelbase with a 2500mm measurement. A similar body design was used on a Maserati 5000 GT that was later built for Sig. Agnelli. Among the notable individuals who purchased the 400 Superamerica include Nelson Rockefeller, George Arents, Michel Paul Cavalier, Count Volpi, Count Somsky, and Felice Riva.

Between 1960 and 1964, Ferrari built approximately 47 examples of the 400 Superamerica with all but two clothed with Pininfarina coachwork. The remaining two were bodied by Scaglietti. The series divided between the 25 short-wheelbase Series I and 22 long-wheelbase Series II variants. 14 examples were the Coupe Aerodinamico built on the original 2,420 mm wheelbase chassis exclusive to the Series I 400 Superamericas. The Series I Coupe Aerodinamicos used the same chassis as Pininfarina's Superfast II show car, and bestowed with sporting proportions, a plethora of bespoke details, and gracefully flowing body lines. It is believed that seven examples of the Series I Coupe Aerodinamico were originally specified with the covered-headlight treatment. A total of 32 examples, of both Series I and Series II models, wore the coupé aerodinamico body. The Series I cars had an open hood air scoop while the Series II (which arrived in late 1962) cars had covered scoop and the slightly longer 2600mm wheelbase. Approximately 22 examples of the S2 cars were built before being replaced by the 500 Superfast in 1964. The 500 Superfast was offered with a single Pininfarina body design, making the 400 SuperAmerica the final custom Ferrari. With its race-bred chassis, potent twelve-cylinder engine, bespoke coachwork, exclusivity, and astronomical price tag, the 400 SuperAmerica was among the most exotic high-performance automobiles of the era.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2021