There’s rare and then there’s rare. And then above even that, there’s rare with exceptional provenance, which is where this 1961 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Series I Coupe Aerodinamico fits in.
The Ferrari “America” series was built for the company’s wealthiest clientele. Made with large displacement engines, in this case a 3,967 cc V12 that made 320 hp (239 kW/324 PS), they were made to order for Shahs and counts alike.
The 400 Superamerica Series I, specifically, was inspired by Pininfarina‘s sensational Superfast II show car and featured some of its most extreme design cues. Just 14 were sent into production and of those, just half featured the aerodynamic headlights that can be seen on this example.
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But this model is rarer still. It is the only series I car ever made out of lightweight aluminum, something insisted upon by its owner, the man who helps fill in the other half of this car’s rarity story: the provenance.
The car was ordered new by Count Giovanni Volpi di Misurata, who came from a hugely influential Venetian family. Born into great wealth, he naturally developed a taste for motor racing.
In fact, just a year after receiving this car several members of the Scuderia Ferrari racing team left, with some joining Volpi’s racing team, Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia. He also helped found the legendary Automobili Turismo e Sport (ATS) and later founded Automobili Serenissima, which produced several race cars in the ’70s.
It’s little wonder, then, that with his interest in racing, Volpi insisted on making his car out of the lightweight material. The count was as capricious as he was distinguishing, though, and sold the Superamerica in 1962.
It has since been owned by a small handful of people, but it has driven less than 25,000 km (15,534 miles). Its condition is less than flawless, but it was clearly cared for over the course of its life. Largely unrestored, it is now being offered for sale at Gooding and Company‘s Pebble Beach Auction. It is estimate that it will sell for between $4 and $5 million.