1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Aerodinamico– Classified of the Week
January 30, 2024
If you’re after a slice of the rare, a soupçon of the exclusive, or a dash of the exceptional then you’ve come to the right place. Whether it’s an ’80s Aston or a ’60s Alfa, Car & Classic has you covered and this spectacular 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica short wheelbase Coupé Aerodinamico, to give it its full, rather long title, falls squarely in the realm of limited edition masterpieces.
The America series of cars were Ferrari’s top-end, super special, Sunday best cars. These weren’t your standard Bourbons. These were the super posh biscuits you only bring out for special occasions. The ones you reserve for royalty that have their own special serving plate. That’s doesn’t mean that Bourbons aren’t a top tier biscuit, far from it, what we’re trying to say is these America cars were for the richest of the rich and those that wanted a certain level of exclusivity.
And exclusivity is exactly what you get with this Ferrari 400 Superamerica. Of the 35 coupé versions ever produced only 17 were 2420mm short wheelbase examples. On top of that, just eight were built with covered headlights, making this car a ridiculously rare proposition.
It’s all well and good being unique but that doesn’t necessarily equate to quality. $2 bills may be scarce but they’re still only worth two bucks. Thankfully, in the case of the Ferrari 400 Superamerica, the design, craftsmanship and engineering behind the car are all top tier. 5th in line to employ the America nameplate, the 400 was built as a replacement for the 410 (counter-intuitively) in ’59 but that America nomenclature dates all the way back to 1950 with the advent of the 340 America.
Designed by Pininfarina (before the space in the middle of the name) the body of the 400 Superamerica sits atop a tubular steel chassis coupled with significant cross bracing. Suspension comes in the form of an independent front setup and a live axle at the rear. Hydraulic disc brakes were standard on all four wheels along with a four-speed manual gearbox with overdrive. Power comes courtesy of Ferrari’s 4.0-litre Colombo V12 engine utilising triple twin-choke Weber carbs to produce 340bhp. There’s bark and there’s bite and the Ferrari 400 Superamerica had both in spades.
As mentioned previously, the car we have available via our classifieds section is a 1962 SWB model with those coveted covered headlights. Complete with Ferrari Classiche certification confirming it to be a fully matching-numbers example it presents in exceptional condition throughout. Only the cream of the crop can be exhibited at such prestigious events as the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, and this car has taken centre stage at both, along with many other high profile appearances – testament to the car’s condition, exclusivity and enduring legacy.
Comprehensively restored in 1993 by Edi Wyss Engineering in Switzerland the car has enjoyed an unbroken chain of ownership with each custodian preserving and maintaining the car’s stunning condition over the course of its cherished life. The Blu Sera body over cream leather interior is a winning combination in anyone’s book and this is peak Ferrari for many a collector and connoisseur. Utterly sublime.
