In 1947, Ferrari launched its first model with the “Prancing Horse” on the body. Until then it had been a sports preparation workshop that still worked in the shadow of Alfa Romeo, but finally just two years after the armistice, the ambitious Enzo could now fly solo without the burden of the Lombard brand.
In reality, that was not very promising either in a Europe that was still largely devastated by bombing and in a reconstruction economy.
Ferrari cars had become very fast with a good reputation in the Old Continent thanks to their good role in road races such as the Targa Florio or the Mile Miglia or the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but that was not enough to get ahead in the context. of a market still marked by the postwar period.
In Maranello they understood very quickly that survival involved selling in the prosperous, rich and triumphant America, but there was a problem: a large part of the potential North American market still had very fresh memories that Italy had fought alongside the Axis just five years before. and he was little receptive to any product that came from his recent enemies.
In fact, exactly the same thing happened to Mercedes and Porsche due to their status as German brands, although the Germans and Italians chose to face the situation differently. The first simply let time pass and the quality of their cars prevail. The latter were much more direct: they would manufacture specific models for the US, call them “America” and appeal to traditional Yankee patriotism.
It was not only the recent memory that Americans had of the bloody battles of Montecassino or Anzio or the high tariffs demanded on products from the Old Continent that Ferrari had to face in its attempt to set foot in the United States. . The worst thing was that, unlike in Europe, on the other side of the Atlantic the reputation of Maranello cars was still non-existent.
“Il Padrone” Ferrari was very clear that it had to start there, which is why it is now called “making a brand” and it promoted the presence of its cars in the races most followed by American fans, such as F1 – which started in 1950. – and above all the Panamericana, a raid through the lands of Mexico and Baja California that at that time fascinated the public.
The del Cavallino registered in the 1951 edition two 212 Sport coupes with 2.6-liter V12 engine piloted by Taruffi/Chinetti and Ascari/Villoresi that dragged on the competition Chrysler, Studebaker, Oldsmobile…
The real genius was in what Ferrari did next and that was to develop a series of automobiles called “America” designed expressly to satisfy the tastes of both Americans and Europeans. Some because they would feel less reluctance to be interested in a brand that places the stars and stripes flag and the name “America” on its cars and the others because they would see in those cars the American “glamour” that was already beginning to sweep Europe. through Hollywood cinema.
Ferrari only made “America” models for ten years; from 1950 to 1960 but during that decade he put on the street some of the models most valued by collectors for their rarity. The first was the radical 340 America; Appeared in 1950 and produced until 1952, only 23 units were built. It had a 4.1-liter Lampredi V12 engine, derived from competition and delivered a power of 197 HP.
What happened is that the 340 America was, literally, a racing car and it was so demanding and uncomfortable that the 342 America was developed on its same mechanical basis. The carburetor was changed to make it less brutal in its reactions and more elastic, a four-speed synchronized gearbox more suitable for road use and Pininfarina was commissioned to make its four seats more comfortable. Only six units were built and today it is the most expensive America and desired by museums.
Something similar happened with the 375 America, which the Italians built in 1953 and whose life was brief as it lasted just one year and was limited to 11 units built. Taking advantage of the Pininfarina body of the 342 and on a tubular steel chassis, the most powerful engine in the catalog was mounted; a 4.5 Lampredi that delivered 296 HP. It was the most exclusive car made by Ferrari to date and was clearly aimed at the type of millionaire customer from California or Texas who sought hyper-exclusivity.
Thanks to “Operation America” the Maranello brand had managed to become known in the US as a prestigious manufacturer of super sports cars, but it was still an economically unprofitable market. Sales did not grow as much as expected, since the potential audience seemed to clearly opt for options more focused on luxury and comfort.
Ferrari reacted by placing the Superamerica in the “dealers” – in the mid-1950s, who were expected to be able to reach an also elitist but more conservative public both in age and tastes.
The first 410 Superamérica was presented at the 1955 Paris Motor Show and remained in the catalog until 1959. Its chassis was that of the 375 America with an elegant body of impressive dimensions and level of finishes by Pininfarina. It was equipped with the same Lampredi V12 “long block” engine used in the 375 America but with the displacement increased to 4.9 l and a revolutionary power supply through a battery of three double-body Weber 40 DCF carburetors that offered a declared power of 340 HP. .
Ferrari considered it a great success to place the 35 units manufactured of the Superamérica and in 1959 opted for a more compact and youthful proposal, the 400 Superamérica equipped with the new V12 4.0 Colombo engine that delivered 340 HP.
Its production ceased in 1964 after Maranello had produced and sold 47 units of a car that represented the absolute consolidation of Ferrari as a sports benchmark in the United States and the gateway to new models – also with an eye on the American market – such as the Daytonas or the Californias…
With all this, a paradox began to occur that they did not count on in Maranello; They had put so much effort into putting comfortable and luxurious America series for the road on the street that – with the prestige of Ferrari already fully consolidated – in the early 60s they began to lose the market for supercars for competition.
More and more customers were demanding preparations for races, so in Maranello they decided to produce a very limited series of 25 units of even more powerful versions of their cars: the Superamérica Superfast. All the Superamericas had their Superfast version, but the most notable is the 500 Superfast from 1966, an overpowered version of the 400, but with an explosive 400 HP V12 Colombo 5.0 engine that for a long time made it the most powerful “roadster” in the world. world.
Both the chassis, suspension and body were designed by Pininfarina with competition criteria and the 36 units built were equipped with an innovative five-speed gearbox. This 500 Superfast was the commercial predecessor of the first legendary California.
