The second Superamerica shown early in 1960 had an altogether subtler Cabriolet coachwork. From a distance it could even be mistaken for a contemporary 250 GT Cabriolet. Up close, the exquisite detailing and unique touches did set it apart from the lower range Ferraris. Almost all Superamericas built that year sported this open-top body; naturally no two were the same.

The last of six Pininfarina Cabriolets built on the Series 1 400 Superamerica was first shown at the 1962 New York Auto Show. It won third in class at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)

In October 1960, Pininfarina showed the 400 Superamerica-based Superfast II study at the Turin Show. This styling exercise served as a preview of the aerodynamic fixed-head body to be offered on the Grand Tourer chassis. This Aerodinamico Coupe had very smooth lines and a particularly rounded rear-end.

A similar design was tried on one of the 250 GTO prototypes but this proved unstable at high speeds. With its additional weight, it was believed that the 400 Superamerica would not suffer the same problems. Although an official top speed of 165 mph was quoted, later tests showed that the Aerodinamico could actually get very close to the 185 mph mark.

The 340-horsepower V12 was fed by a triple set of Weber carburetors. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)

Offered from 1961 onwards, the new coupe was the coachwork of choice. It could be ordered with open or closed headlights and the width of the grille also varied.

After a run of about two dozen cars, the original 400 Superamerica was replaced by the Series 2 late in 1962. The single biggest difference between the two was the lengthened 102-inch wheelbase on the second-generation model. Pininfarina continued to offer the choice of Cabriolet and Aerodinamico Coupe bodies.

All but four customers went the fixed-head route. A total of 22 examples of the S2 were produced before it was replaced by the 500 Superfast in 1964. This was only available with a single Pininfarina design; Ferrari's Grand Tourer had effectively been transformed into a production car.

As the final 400 Superamerica was completed, the era of the custom Ferrari ended. Today these exquisite machines are often overlooked and overshadowed by the smaller-engine 250 GT variants. With its powerful V12 engine, race-bred chassis and beautiful coach-work, the 400 Superamerica deserves a more prominent position in Ferrari's rich history.

For an 18-photo gallery, see 400 Superamerica.

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