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 Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 1517 SA

Among his many talents and gifts, Mr. Gianni Agnelli is remembers as one of the most fashionable men in modern history. He was born in Torino, Italy on March 12th of 1921 and was the heir to a modern Italian dynasty. He was named after his grandfather, who founded Fiat in 1899. Gianni was a leader in both business and culture. He was a noted playboy, even after his marriage in 1953. His mistresses included socialite Pamela Harriman, actress Anita Ekberg, and fashion designer Jackie Rogers. He had several beautifully designed homes, a fine collection of paintings, and enjoyed sailing, skiing, and tobogganing. As would be expected, he also maintained an impressive collection of motorcars and developed a deep respect for the Ferrari marque. Between the late 1940s and early 1960s, he owned a number of Ferraris, including a 166 MM Barchetta, a 212 inter Coupe, a 375 America, and this 400 Superamerica Coupe Speciale.

In 1966, Agnelli became chairman of Fiat. As the head of Fiat, Agnelli managed over 4-percent of Italy's gross domestic product. Under his direction, the firm acquired Alfa Romeo and Lancia, giving them a virtual monopoly in domestic car production. Along with the automobile empire, his family and their various holding companies managed everything from newspapers to football clubs.

Gianni Agnelli was the richest man in modern Italian history.

Chassis number 1517 SA

In 1959, Mr. Agnelli placed an order for a special new Ferrari to be used for his own personal use. The car that he received was the first 400 Superamerica.

The 400 Superamerica was the firm's most expensive road-going offering and aimed at the company's most exclusive clients.

Mr. Agnelli's Ferrari, being the first 400 Superamerica built, is considered something of a prototype and its type 163 engine has been recorded by several sources as an experimental unit with a unique combination of internal components, carburetors, and exhaust.

Chassis number 1517 SA entered the Pinin Farina plant in Torino, Italy on July 30th of 1959. There, it was given a custom-tailored coupe coachwork. Pinin Farina created a variation of Agnelli's first custom-bodied Ferrari, 0355 AL, a 375 America that had been styled by Franco Martinengo. The result was a car that combined contemporary Pinin farina styling with the various 'branded' themes established on Agnelli's previous commissions.

1517 SA has a large square grille, a 'panoramic' wraparound windscreen, forward-leaning A-pillars, and an Aerlux sunroof with sliding shades. Many of these features could also be found on 0355 AL which had been created six years earlier. Perhaps one of the most prominent departure from the previous Agnelli Ferrari was the use of a four-headlight arrangement.

The inside continues the blend of old and new features. It was given a full array of instrumentation, pairing standard Veglia gauges with a Jaeger chronometric clock and Heuer stopwatches. There is a distinctive shift knob and a custom steering wheel which features black trim on the spokes in lieu of the typical filigree.

The car made its public debut at the Pinin Farina stand at the 41st Annual Torino Motor Show held during November of 1959. This was two months before the first production 400 Superamerica (a short-wheelbase Cabriolet) was unveiled at the Brussels Auto Show.

After the Torino Motor Show, 1517 SA returned to Pinin Farina to undergo a number of important changes, presumably at Sig. Agnelli's request. The size and the shape of the grille were softened, the two-piece front bumperettes were replaced by a single one-piece bumper, the hood scoop was repositioned, the seats were re-upholstered, and the flanks - between the front and rear wheel wells - were embellished with brushed stainless steel trim and a distinctive spear, finished in the Agnelli family colors of green and blue.

After the work was completed, the car was shown at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show held between March 10th and 20th. It was delivered to Sig. Agnelli in June of 1960. At the time, it was finished in Argento Luna Savid with black Connolly leather upholstery. The car was registered in Torino as 'TO 333333' and served as Mr. Agnelli's personal transport for over two years before being replaced with a Maserati 5000 GT fitted with a similar Pinin Farina body.

On September 26th of 1962, Agnelli sold his Ferrari to Giuseppe Cornacchia, a resident of Milan. Less than a month later, the car was sold to Swedish actress Anita Ekberg, star of the 1960 movie La Dolce Vita. Some believe that due to the time frame and the rumored affair between Agnelli and Miss Ekberg, that the car may have been a generous gift.

Miss Ekberg used the car between 1962 and 1966. In May of 1966, she sold the Coupe Speciale to Mario Rossi of Torino. In October of 1967 the car had accumulated a total of 35,842 km.

In 1968, Sig. Rossi sold the car to Milan's official Ferrari dealer M.G. Crepaldi S.a.s. The following year, the car was sold to Luigi Chinetti Motors in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Soon after its arrival in the United States, the car was sold to Peter Jacobs through Algar Enterprises, Inc. in Rosemont, PA. From there, the car was sold to Pete Sherman of Maitland, Florida, who damaged the nose in a road accident.

In 1974, Gilbert Ranney of Santa Ana, California, purchased the Ferrari from Mr. Sherman with the intention of someday giving it a restoration. After eight years in his care, the restoration had never commenced and, in November 1982, Mr. Ranney donated the car to the Harrah Automobile Foundation in Reno, Nevada.

Much of the Harrah's Automobile Collection was dispersed in 1986, and 1517 SA was sold at auction to its current caretaker. After a decade in storage, the current owner treated the car to a restoration to the highest possible standards. The work was completed in 2004 and since then has participated in many exclusive automotive gatherings including the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the Quail Motorsports Gathering, the Concorso d'Elegance Villa d'Este, and the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic. In May of 2013, at the FCA Concours in Pasadena, CA, the car received Best of Show honors.

The car has been apart of several important museum exhibitions. Between April and November 2009, it was a feature display at Galleria Ferrari, the factory's museum in Maranello. Beginning in the fall 2010, the car was part of a six-month exhibition held at Ferrari World on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. In 2012, it was invited to take part in a special exhibit at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles entitled 'Sculpture in Motion: Masterpieces of Italian Design.'

by Dan Vaughan