Ferrari America is a series of flagship

grand touring A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving with performance and luxury. The most common format is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement ...

Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...

models primarily built for the North American market in the 1950s and 1960s. The America models were equipped with large V12 engines and often had custom bodywork done by famous coachbuilders in Italy. All America models used a

live axle A beam axle, rigid axle, or solid axle is a dependent suspension design in which a set of wheels is connected laterally by a single beam or shaft. Beam axles were once commonly used at the rear wheels of a vehicle, but historically, they have a ...

in the rear, were front-engined, and had worm and sector steering. Two models from the series, the

410 __NOTOC__ Year 410 ( CDX) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year after the Consulship of Honorius and Theodosius (or, less frequently, year 1163 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denominat ...

and the

400 __NOTOC__ Year 400 (Roman numerals, CD) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Stilicho and Aurelianus (consul 400), Aurelianus (or, less frequently, year ...

, were called ''Superamerica'' with the final model, the

500 500 may refer to: * 500 (number) * 500 BC * AD 500 Buildings and places * 500 Boylston Street in Boston * 500 Brickell in Miami * 500 Capitol Mall in Sacramento * 500 Fifth Avenue * 500 Renaissance Center, one of seven buildings in the GM ...

being called the superfast. The America series also includes the 365 California. __TOC__

340 America

The first America cars were called the 340 and were produced between 1950 and 1952. The new Lampredi V12 developed for

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

racing was rated at . Originally only 23 units were built: 11 by

Vignale Vignale is the luxury car sub-brand of Ford Motor Company used in automobiles sold in Europe.Touring, and four by

Ghia Carrozzeria Ghia SpA (established 1916 in Turin) is an Italian automobile design and coachbuilding firm, established by Giacinto Ghia and Gariglio as "Carrozzeria Ghia & Gariglio". The headquarters are located at Corso Guglielmo Marconi, 4, Tu ...

Giovanni Michelotti Giovanni Michelotti (6 October 1921 – 23 January 1980) was one of the most prolific designers of sports cars in the 20th century. His notable contributions were for Ferrari, Lancia, Maserati and Triumph Motor Company, Triumph marques. He was ...

was tasked with the design work for the cars produced by Vignale. The first two Americas were converted from the 275 S. In 1951, 340 America Vignale Berlinetta won

Mille Miglia The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts :it:Franco Mazzotti, Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi. It took place in Italy 24 times f ...

race driven by

Luigi Villoresi Luigi "Gigi" Villoresi (16 May 1909 – 24 August 1997) was an Italian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Villoresi contested 34 Formula One Grands Prix across seven seasons for Italian teams Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia, and C ...

. Three Touring barchettas were also entered that year but did not finish. The 340 America was succeeded by the 375 America. File:1951 Ferrari 340 America (1).jpg, Ferrari 340 America Touring Berlinetta File:1951-04-28-Ferrari340-0082A-MilleMiglia-Villoresi.jpg, Ferrari 340 America Vignale Coupé that won the 1951 Mille Miglia File:Ferrari 340 America front - Flick - Concorso Italiano 2004.jpg, Ferrari 340 America Ghia Coupé

342 America

Only six road cars were made: Vignale Cabriolet (designed by

), two

Pinin Farina Pininfarina S.p.A. (; ; short for Pininfarina Società per Azioni) is an Italian automotive design, car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930. On 14 ...

Cabriolets and three Pinin Farina Coupés. Using the same Lampredi-designed engine as in 340 America with a different carburettor air filter arrangement and thus was detuned to . Last example, the Pinin Farina Cabriolet s/n 0248AL presented at 1953 New York Auto show, was upgraded to 4.5 L engine. Both 340/342 Americas used even chassis numbering of a race cars, while 375 America and later used odd chassis numbering of a road cars. A Black Pinin Farina Cabriolet was owned by

King Leopold III Leopold III (3 November 1901 – 25 September 1983) was King of the Belgians from 23 February 1934 until his abdication on 16 July 1951. At the outbreak of World War II, Leopold tried to maintain Belgian neutrality, but after the German invasio ...

of Belgium. File:ATMS 07 - Ferrari.jpg, Ferrari 342 America Pinin Farina Coupé File:1952 Ferrari 342 America Pinin Farina coupé, front right (2019 Greenwich Concours).jpg, 1952 Ferrari 342 America Pinin Farina Coupé File:1952 Ferrari 342 America Pinin Farina coupé, rear left (2019 Greenwich Concours).jpg, 1952 Ferrari 342 America Pinin Farina Coupé (rear) File:Ferrari 342 America PF Cabriolet (1).jpg, Ferrari 342 America Pinin Farina Cabriolet File:Ferrari 342 America PF Cabriolet (2).jpg, Ferrari 342 America Pinin Farina Cabriolet (rear) File:Ferrari 342 America PF Cabriolet (interior).jpg, Ferrari 342 America Pinin Farina Cabriolet (interior)

375 America

The 375 America was introduced in 1953 and a

bodied example was shown at that year's Paris Salon. Built as a successor to the 342 America, The 375 used the new "long block" Lampredi designed V12 engine that was rated at at 6,300 rpm, with three Weber 40DCF (or DCZ) carburettors. The stated performance figures were a 0- acceleration time in under seven seconds and a top speed of almost . The 375 began the tradition of using the off chassis numbers of road cars contrary to its predecessors which used even chassis numbers pertaining to race cars. The expensive and exclusive 375 was only built from late 1953 through 1954 and 12 cars were made, with ten being original 375s and two being 250 Europas that were subsequently converted to 375 specifications (the 250 Europa and the 375 had a nearly identical wheelbase, chassis and mechanicals). The majority of 375s had either three or five-window coupe bodies by Pinin Farina, though

Vignale Vignale is the luxury car sub-brand of Ford Motor Company used in automobiles sold in Europe. File:Ferrari 375 Vignale 2.jpg, 1953 Ferrari 375 America with bodywork by Carrozzeria

Vignale Vignale is the luxury car sub-brand of Ford Motor Company used in automobiles sold in Europe.Gianni Agnelli Giovanni "Gianni" Agnelli (; 12 March 192124 January 2003), nicknamed ("The Lawyer"), was an Italian industrialist and principal shareholder of Fiat S.p.A., Fiat. As the head of Fiat, he controlled 4.4% of Italy's GDP, 3.1% of its industrial ...

, designed by Aldo Brovarone at Pinin Farina File:Ferrari (3158191850).jpg, 1955 Ferrari 375 America Coupé Speciale (rear view)

410 Superamerica

The 410 Superamerica was introduced in 1955 and used the engine based on a single plug 410 S powerplant. The engine had an increased displacement up to and was rated at at 6,000 rpm thanks to three Weber 40DCF carburettors. The 410 Superamerica had a new chassis, featuring independent coil spring front suspension and was the first Ferrari road car to use a five speed gearbox. The car had a listed top speed of and was recognised by the

Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

as the world's fastest production car. In 1957, the carburetors were upgraded for Weber 46DCF3 units which resulted in an increased power output of . This uprated engine was fitted to the Series III 410 Superamerica and marked the final development for the 'long-block' Lampredi V12. Each 410 Superamerica had custom bodywork, with a few by Boano and

but most by Ferrari stalwart,

. The price was extremely high—at

US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...

16,800, the 410 Superamerica offered at the

New York Auto Show The New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show that is held in Manhattan, New York City in late March or early April. It is held at the Javits Center, Jacob Javits Convention Center. It usually opens on or just before Easter weeke ...

by importer

Luigi Chinetti Luigi Chinetti (July 17, 1901 – August 17, 1994) was an Italian-born racecar driver, who emigrated to the United States during World War II. He drove in 12 consecutive 24 Hours of Le Mans races, taking three outright wins there and taking two ...

was more than twice as expensive as the

Mercedes-Benz 300SL The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (chassis code W 198) is a two-seat sports car that was produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1954 to 1957 as a gullwinged coupé and from 1957 to 1963 as a roadster. The 300 SL traces its origins to the company's 1952 racin ...

"Gullwing" exhibited by

Max Hoffman Maximilian Edwin Hoffman (12 November 1904 – 9 August 1981), was an Austrian-born, New York-based importer of luxury European automobiles during the 1950s. Known equally for his acumen and influence, Hoffman was instrumental in development ...

. Due to its high price tag, the car was a sales disappointment. Just 35 units were built when production ended in 1959. First 2 series of Pinin Farina coupés were very similar with only 3rd series radically redesigned with non-panoramic rear window, different side-line, lower front grille and more recessed headlights with the headlights in some cars being covered. While the Series III, introduced in 1959, had 3 louvres behind side-windows, some have this space covered with glass. File:1954 Ferrari 410 0477SA.jpg, Ferrari 410 Superamerica by Boano s/n 0477SA File:1956 Ferrari 410 Superamerica - fvr2.jpg, Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series I by Pinin Farina

410 Superfast Pinin Farina Speciale

The 410 Superfast was also known as "Superfast I" and was based on the on 410 Superamerica chassis with 24-plug racing engine from 410 S, prominent tailfins and bi-coloured body. It was unveiled at the 1956

Paris Auto Show The Paris Motor Show () is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held during October, it is one of the most important auto shows, often with many new production automobile and concept car debuts. The show presently takes place in Paris expo Porte de ...

. The car had a shorter wheelbase of .

4.9 Superfast

The 4.9 Superfast was a one-off based on the 410 Superamerica chassis and engine. Presented in Paris in 1957, this car was an evolution of 410 Superfast but without the prominent rear fins. Also the colours were similar but with dark blue-green full body and white roof.

400 Superamerica

The 400 Superamerica debuted in 1959 as the production of the 410 ended, and was available as a coupe, spider, or cabriolet with custom Pinin Farina bodywork. It had the smaller ''

Colombo Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...

'' engine, which had similar power output as its predecessor at at 7,000 rpm. Four-wheel

disc brake A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the #Calipers, calipers to squeeze pairs of #Brake pads, pads against a disc (sometimes called a

rake Rake may refer to: Common meanings * Rake (tool), a horticultural implement, a long-handled tool with tines * Rake (stock character), a man habituated to immoral conduct * Rake (poker), the commission taken by the house when hosting a poker game ...

rotor) to create friction. There are two basic types of brake pad friction mechanisms: abrasive f ...

s were a new addition. 47 units of the 400 Superamerica been built in two series of which 32 were the coupé aerodinamico variant. The Series I coupés aerodinamico had open hood air scoop while series II cars had covered scoop and slightly longer wheelbase. Production of the 400 Superamerica ended in 1964.

400 Superamerica Pinin Farina Coupé Speciale

A special one-off version of the 400 Superamerica, s/n 1517SA, was built in 1959 for

Gianni Agnelli Giovanni "Gianni" Agnelli (; 12 March 192124 January 2003), nicknamed ("The Lawyer"), was an Italian industrialist and principal shareholder of Fiat S.p.A., Fiat. As the head of Fiat, he controlled 4.4% of Italy's GDP, 3.1% of its industrial ...

. This car was also the very first of the 400 Superamericas. A very similar body with its characteristic square grille, was used on Maserati 5000 GT that was also built for Agnelli.

400 Superamerica Superfast II–IV

Originally built as a Series I Ferrari 400 Superamerica Aerodinamico Pinin Farina Coupé, chassis no. 2207SA, was re-bodied and presented as ''Superfast II'' at the Torino Motor Show in 1960 and 1961. It was used by Battista "Pinin" Farina as his personal car. In 1961, the car was re-bodied into the ''Superfast III'' and presented at 1962 Geneva Motor Show and went through another final redesign final as the ''Superfast IV''. It was a styling concept for the upcoming 500 Superfast model. Currently this show car can be seen on various events with its first styling. File:Ferrari 400 Superamerica fl.jpg, Ferrari 400 Superamerica Series II by

1960 Ferrari 400 Superamerica in the Museo Ferrari, front right.jpg, Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupé Speciale by Pinin Farina for

File:1960-10-03 Stupinigi Ferrari 400 2207SA Battista.jpg,

Battista Farina Battista Pininfarina (born Battista Farina, nicknamed "Pinin"; 2 November 1893 – 3 April 1966) was an Italian automobile designer and the founder of the Carrozzeria Pininfarina coachbuilding company, a name associated with many well known ...

with a Ferrari Superfast II File:1960 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Cabriolet (44702502321).jpg, Ferrari 400 Superamerica Cabriolet by Pinin Farina

500 Superfast

The final model in the flagship America series was the 500 Superfast, first unveiled at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show. During development these cars were to be called "Superamerica", but the decision was made at the last moment to use "Superfast" instead. The engine was a unique Ferrari Colombo V12 engine, which had the same 108 mm bore center dimensions as the Lampredi "long-block" engines of the 410 Superamerica, otherwise the design was based on the original Colombo "short block". Breathing through six twin-choke Weber 40DCZ/6

carburettor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor or carburetter) is a device used by a gasoline internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the Vent ...

s, the V12 produced up to at 6,500 rpm and could push the car to . The chassis was very similar in construction to the contemporary 330 GT 2+2, and bodywork was now done by

Pininfarina Pininfarina S.p.A. (; ; short for Pininfarina Società per Azioni) is an Italian automotive design, car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930. On 14 ...

, with the cars being assembled in

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

. When leaving the factory the 500 Superfast originally fitted Pirelli Cinturato CN72 205 VR15 tyres. Depending on options, each car took 4 to 6 months to complete. 36 cars were made from 1964 to 1966, including 12 improved Series II models with a 5-speed

transmission Transmission or transmit may refer to: Science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Transmission (mechanical device), technology that allows controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual tra ...

in place of the earlier 4-speed plus overdrive. The Series II cars can be recognized by having a triple louvre exhaust vent behind the front wheels, rather than the earlier 11-slot grilles. Unlike its predecessors, the 500 Superfast was only produced in the 2+2 coupe body style. The production total excludes a one-off 330 GT 2+2 produced with a Superfast-style body for

Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld (later Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands; 29 June 1911 – 1 December 2004) was Prince of the Netherlands from 6 September 1948 to 30 April 1980 as the husband of Queen Juliana. They had four daughters to ...

. This one-off was sold at the

Bonhams Bonhams is a privately owned international auction house and one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. It was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. This brought t ...

' December 2003 Geneva auction for CHF 422,100 including premium. Famous owners of the car include Prince Karim Aga Khan who bought the first 500 Superfast and the

Shah of Iran The monarchs of Iran ruled for over two and a half millennia, beginning as early as the 7th century BC and enduring until the 20th century AD. The earliest Iranian king is generally considered to have been either Deioces of the Median dynasty () ...

who owned two. 1964 Ferrari 500 Superfast in Dark Red, rear left.jpg, Ferrari 500 Superfast (Series I; s/n 5983SF) 1967 Ferrari 500 Superfast Series II (5810146877).jpg, 1967 Ferrari 500 Superfast (Series II; s/n 8459S)

365 California

The 365 California replaced the 500 Superfast in 1966 and was built on the same ethos as the 250GT Spyder. It was the first model in the 365 series of cars, with its V12 based on the

330 __NOTOC__ Year 330 ( CCCXXX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gallicanus and Tullianus (or, less frequently, year 1083 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denominat ...

's 4.0 L ''

'' unit but with an 81 mm bore. The 365 California used the same chassis as the 500 Superfast but with an evolutionary

cabriolet A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary across eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving ex ...

body by

. Debuting at the

Geneva Motor Show The Geneva International Motor Show was an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show was hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon was organised b ...

in 1966, just 14 examples were produced (including 2 in right hand drive) before production ended in 1967. Whilst the prototype was built on a 330 GT 2+2 type 571 chassis, production cars featured the type 598 chassis. The chassis were sent to Pininfarina's Grugliasco plant to be bodied and trimmed and were then returned to Ferrari for fitment of the mechanical components. Desirable performance components like power steering and Borrani wire wheels were standard-equipment on the 365 California. Ferrari 1967 365 California (9062327161).jpg, Ferrari 365 California (rear view) 1966 Ferrari 365 California Spyder - brown - rvlL.jpg, Earlier examples have triple, round taillights 1966 Ferrari 365 California Spyder - brown - int.jpg, The dashboard

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

Ferrari 340 America: Ferrari History

Ferrari 375 America: Ferrari History

Ferrari 410 Superamerica: Ferrari History

Ferrari 400 Superamerica: Ferrari History

Ferrari 500 Superfast: Ferrari History

Ferrari 365 California: Ferrari History
{{Scuderia Ferrari

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Sports cars 1950s cars 1960s cars 24 Hours of Le Mans race cars Mille Miglia Pininfarina Cars discontinued in 1967 Cars introduced in 1950