The History of the Ferrari Car in 1960

In 1960, Enzo Ferrari had a dream team of builders and managers to manufacture precision-built race cars. Chief engineer Carlo Chiti, Scuderia Ferrari chief Romolo Tavoni, sales manager Girolamo Gardini and experimental development head Giotto Bizzarrini worked as a well-oiled machine. By the end of 1961, all were gone in a dispute over the involvement of Ferrari's wife in the company. Yet before they left, they assembled the extraordinary 400 Superamerica.

History

Enzo Ferrari began making cars for the public in 1947. His first road car was the 1.5-liter, V-12-powered 125 Sport. These cars were produced to finance the racing arm of his company, Scuderia Ferrari. Although Ferrari considered his road cars a stepchild to his racing division, his company produced perhaps the greatest racing machines of the 1950s and early 1960s.

Significance

The limited production of 50 400 Superamericas between 1960 and 1964 makes it an exceptionally rare and valuable vehicle.

Function

The 400 Superamerica car is lightweight to make the most out of its 12-cylinder powerplant, yet durable enough to outlast the competition in long road contests.

Types

The 400 Superamerica produced between 1960 and 1964 came in the 2-door coupe, sports version and cabriolet.

Features

All 400 Superamerica models feature custom-built, one-of-a-kind bodies and are equipped with 4-wheel disc brakes

Size

The 2,822-lbs. 400 Superamerica model is powered by a 4-liter V-12 engine generating 340 horsepower on a 95.3-inch wheelbase.

Fun Fact

A 400 Superamerica was auctioned in August 2008 for $1.65 million.

Resources

• More on Ferrari